Love through Centuries
by FireLass
Summary: COMPLETE! Ginny has been having recurring dreams for years about lovers in the past, who are identical to her and Harry. What she can't see in the dream is the trouble the pair is in. When Harry and Ginny land in the past, will they be able to save them?
1. The Dream

Disclaimer: I own nothing, if I did, I wouldn't be posting on a fan fiction site.   
  
Chapter 1  
  
        "I love you, Lucia!" Said Zachariah genuinely, looking into the warm brown eyes of his fiancé. She tucked her chin against her chest and blushed a soft crimson shade. Her fiery red hair fell over her face, and Zachariah brushed it back behind her ear.   
  
        She looked up into his shining emerald eyes and replied, "I love you too, Zachariah!" She almost whispered she spoke so softly.  
  
                 Ginny Weasley awoke from her dream with a start. There had been a strange sound in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, which turned out to be one of her roommate's owls. Ginny took the interruption from her sleep as an opportunity to think about this dream. This dream of Zachariah and Lucia, two lovers clad in robes reminiscent of the late 1800's, began to plague her long before her first year at Hogwarts, and long before she'd met Harry Potter. The first time she saw Harry, her breath caught in her chest, she immediately recognized him as Zachariah, the handsome romantic from her recurring dream. There was something else about that dream, something that she'd only just started to notice in the last year or so. She looked into a mirror across the room, staring intensely at her own reflection. She looked at her blazing locks, falling over her shoulders to the bottom of her shoulder blades. Her chocolate brown eyes had familiar warmth; she was the spitting image of Lucia. When she began having the dream, Lucia looked so mature, so sophisticated, but soon Ginny had become a young woman, and at sixteen years old had caught up with Lucia. Ginny often spent hours pondering what this dream meant. If it had been after meeting Harry for the first time that it began, she would know in a heartbeat that it meant she was in love with Harry Potter. The time frame, however, made it very strange indeed. Ginny didn't dare ask Professor Trelawney, though Ginny believed in the subject of divination, she had taken after Hermione's belief that Professor Trelawney was a complete fraud. Ginny sighed in exhaustion as she lay back against her pillow, and soon fell into a dreamless sleep. The clock in the room read 2:53 AM.  
  
        A few hours later, Ginny woke up to find a mass of curly brown hair in her face and a very stressed out Hermione shaking her awake.  
  
        "Get up already, Ginny, we're going to be late for breakfast, which can only mean we'll be late for class, which-" Ginny jumped out of bed before she had to hear Hermione's entire speech.  
  
        "Relax Hermione it only takes me thirty seconds to get ready!' Ginny exclaimed while rushing around the room pulling on various pieces of her uniform. She ran into the bathroom and brushed her hair and teeth simultaneously. In another few seconds she was standing in front of Hermione ready to go.  
  
        "See? What did I tell you, and we have ten minutes to get to the Great Hall!" Ginny stated proudly.  
  
        "Oh, really, then where, pray tell, is your cloak?" Hermione questioned, with the same look she always had when she knew she'd won an argument.  
  
        "Oh no! I don't see it anywhere!" said an exasperated Ginny, "I must have lost it!" she was missing her black Hogwarts robe with a Gryffindor crest, the most important part of the uniform.  
  
        "I'll run and get one of mine, Ginny meet me in the common room." Said Hermione, quickly running out the door. Ginny waited in the common room for about a minute before Hermione came jumping down the stairs, tossing a cloak in her face. Ginny put it on hurriedly and followed Hermione through the portrait hole.  
  
        Ginny and Hermione entered the Great Hall to find Harry and Ron already stuffing their faces with food. Hermione sat down next to Ron and immediately began trying to convince him to take a more active membership in S.P.E.W.  
  
        "You know Hermione, all this time spent on S.P.E.W could be spent studying for N.E.W.T.S. You really should sort out your priorities." Stated Ron with a satisfied smirk at the look of horror on Hermione's face. She quickly pulled out some parchment and began making a study schedule, forgetting all about S.P.E.W.  
  
        Ginny sat eating quietly when Harry turned to her and said, "Gin, I've scheduled our first Quidditch practice of the year for this afternoon after classes, can you help me get the word around to the team?" Ginny had become a chaser for the Gryffindor team in her fifth year, and had developed into one of the teams more gifted players. Harry, of course, had been made captain this year.  
  
        "Sure, Harry who have you told so far?" Ginny questioned.  
  
        "Well, er...just you." Harry replied.  
  
        "Honestly Harry, you can't expect anyone to show up if you don't tell them until the last minute." Hermione interrupted, looking up from her parchment.  
  
        "Hey it's only breakfast he's still got time, besides he told me already as well!" Said Ron, backing up his best friend.  
  
        "See, that's right I have all day and Ron knew!" Harry agreed.  
  
        "Big accomplishment, you've told the people you spend every waking moment with, just make sure you don't forget to tell those you don't see as often. And besides, Ron only knows because he overheard you telling Ginny!" Hermione said sarcastically.  
  
        "You don't even like Quidditch, Hermione, just leave this business to us!" said Ron rather agitatedly.  
  
        "Well, I'm quite sure nothing would ever get done if it were left to you, even if it is involving Quidditch, and that's really saying something!" Hermione retorted, starting off sounding only slightly annoyed, and ending in a full shout.  
  
        Harry and Ginny traded a silent look and got up to go to class, leaving Ron and Hermione to finish their morning row.  
  
        "Honestly those two get worse every day, do you think if we locked them in a room together they'd sort out their feelings in less than a year?" Harry asked rolling his eyes.  
  
        "I doubt it, for someone with the highest marks in Hogwarts, Hermione sure can be dense when it comes to Ron, and well, don't even get me started on my brother!" Ginny replied throwing her hands in the air when she mentioned Ron's stubbornness.  
  
        "Look I better get to class." Said Harry.  
  
        "Yeah, me too, double potions, Snape may kill me if I'm late!" Ginny laughed, but with a serious look on her face.  
  
        "See you at lunch!" Harry said giving her a quick hug and running off in the opposite direction. In her fourth year, Ginny had gotten over her girlhood crush on Harry and was able to speak in his presence. They soon became good friends, and Ginny was every bit as large a member of the "dream team" as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Neither Harry nor Ginny felt anything towards each other except friendship, not that they knew of anyway.  
  
        The day passed by and Ginny could not be gladder it was over. She had gone to potions where Snape had taken points from Gryffindor because Ginny was forced to pair with a Slytherin boy, who was about to put in too much asphodel in and ruin their potion, and she corrected him rather vehemently.  
  
        After double potions, Ginny went to lunch where Ron and Hermione were having a row again, and Harry had gone off to flirt with a Ravenclaw girl, leaving all of her friends occupied. After lunch, Ginny had Transfiguration where Professor McGonagall gave a pop quiz, which Ginny was sure she'd failed. After Transfiguration was Divination, where Professor Trelawney predicted three minor injuries, and four major tragedies in Ginny's near future. After Divination she went to Quidditch practice, where Dean and Seamus, the team's new beaters, were able to hit the bludgers, but had trouble controlling where they hit them, meaning everyone had to keep an extra sharp lookout for runaway bludgers. After three very close shaves, practice was over, and Ginny headed back to the Gryffindor common room, completely worn out. She reached her hand into the pocket of her robe, hoping to find a chocolate frog from her immense stash. She found only a small, hard object on a chain, when she remembered she was wearing Hermione's cloak. She pulled out the charm only to realize it was a time turner. She quickly shoved it back in her pocket, careful not to twist it, and headed off to take a shower.   
  
AN: I updated this to fix the formatting as a lot of my reviews asked, hopefully I'll be getting another chapter up today, but no one hold me to that. 


	2. Detention

Disclaimer: You know the drill   
  
Chapter 2  
        Ginny returned from the bathroom after her shower, which she had hoped would be relaxing, but this shower was far from relaxing. She couldn't stop thinking about the time turner in Hermione's pocket. Why did Hermione have a time turner? Sure, she had been told about third year when Hermione tried to take about a thousand classes at once, but hadn't she turned the time turner in at the end of the year? Ginny resolved to ask Hermione about it tomorrow, and she headed off to the sixth year girls' dormitory. On her way up the staircase, she overheard a voice that was unmistakably Harry's. He and Ron were sitting in a secluded corner of the common room, talking in hushed voices. Ginny crouched behind the stairway to listen to their conversation.   
  
        "It's just that, I keep having these really strange dreams," Harry stated.   
  
        "Not more visions about You-Know-Who!" Exclaimed Ron, "Harry you've got to tell Dumbledore!" Ginny knew as Ron said those words that Harry would be groaning, no one ever gave him any other advice. But the answer that came surprised her.   
  
        "No, nothing about Voldemort," Harry started, "About Ginny and me." He finished tentatively.   
  
        "WATCH IT MATE THAT'S MY SISTER!" Ron screamed, beginning to turn red.   
  
        "But that's the weird part, it looks like Ginny and me, but these people, they're dressed in old fashioned clothes and they have different names."   
  
        "Zachariah and Lucia," Ginny thought to herself as Harry said it out loud. Utterly confused and not wanting to hear another word, Ginny ran up to her dormitory and got into bed. She spent hours tossing and turning, thinking about what the dreams meant before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.   
  
        The next morning, Ginny awoke to Hermione raving about being late as she did every morning. She hurried around getting dressed, and when she was just about done she picked up the borrowed cloak from yesterday and put it on, still unable to find her own.   
  
        "Good of you to ask if you can borrow that again." Hermione said sharply.   
  
        "Sorry, but you don't mind do you?" Ginny asked. Hermione shook her head as they continued down the stairs. "Er...well, I actually wanted to talk to you about something," Ginny stated. Hermione looked up at her friend who looked extremely on edge.   
  
        "What is it?" Hermione asked, feeling a bit skeptical, it wasn't like Ginny to be so evasive.   
  
        "Well it's just that, I found your time turner in the pocket of this cloak yesterday and I was wondering, incidentally, why you still had it?" Ginny asked timidly.   
  
        "Is that all? The way you were dancing around whatever you had to say I thought it was something really serious!" Hermione laughed with relief. "I know I said I turned it in, but I kept it around as a reminder of how overworked I got myself in third year. Anytime I start to take on too much I pull that out and it reminds me to take a break!"   
  
        "Oh!" Ginny exclaimed relieved at such a simple answer, "well that's understandable." Ginny finished, and they walked the rest of the way to the Great Hall in silence.   
  
         When Hermione and Ginny arrived in the Great Hall, they saw Harry and Ron already seated, Harry trying to have a conversation with Ron who was stuffing food into his mouth as if there was no tomorrow. Ginny sat down across from Harry, suddenly remembering what he'd said last night. She must have made a funny expression, because Harry looked at her questioningly and said, "Is something wrong, Ginny?"   
  
        "What?" said Ginny surprised, and drawn out of her stupor, "Oh...no nothing's wrong I just spaced out for a moment." She recovered quickly.   
  
        "That can happen when you don't sleep well." Hermione stated.   
  
        "How do you know I didn't sleep well?" Ginny inquired.   
  
        "My dormitory is next door to yours, I could hear you talking to someone named Zachariah in your sleep." Hermione responded.   
  
        "Who is this Zachariah? Not another boyfriend?!" Ron immediately accused Ginny.   
  
        "Oh no, I must have just been sleep talking," she said as she glanced at Harry who was giving her a quizzical and shocked look, "I don't know anyone named Zachariah." She concluded, Harry's expression softened. Ginny decided he must not have realized she meant it was only in real life that she didn't know a Zachariah.   
  
        First thing that morning Ginny had double potions, in which a record low of only ten points were taken from Gryffindor. Ginny hurried out, as she thought after such a low loss of points from Gryffindor, Snape would be in a vile mood. She turned into a smaller hallway to see Harry and Malfoy glaring at each other with their wands raised.   
  
        "Dementor! Dementor!" Draco shouted pointing behind Harry with a fake look of fear.   
  
        "Very funny, Malfoy, but maybe you haven't heard I can conjure a patronus." Harry retorted.  
  
        "Of course, I've heard _everything_ about the famous Harry Potter, but since most of it's just talk anyway..."   
  
        Harry cut him off, "Oh go bounce somewhere ferret boy!" This was too much for Malfoy, and he disarmed Harry. Then pointing his wand at Harry's chest, he began to speak a long, complicated incantation, which could only be dark magic. At this Ginny ran forward, pointed her wand at Malfoy and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Draco was thrown against a wall, which gave Harry just enough time to grab his wand, which he pointed at Draco. Malfoy was now in no position to argue or fight, so he got up and ran toward the dungeons.   
  
        "Wow Ginny, I'm so lucky you were here, who knows what that spell he was trying would have done to me! Thank you so much!" Harry said giving her a big hug and lifting her off the ground as he did so.   
  
        "Oh, I was just in the right place at the right time." Ginny said casually.   
  
        "Still I owe you one, got any homework assignments you'd like to load off on me?" Harry asked jokingly.   
  
        "I suppose you can do my..." Harry smiled in anticipation to see what he could do to pay her back, "POTIONS!" Harry's face fell.   
  
        "On come on Ginny that's awful," he groaned, "It wasn't that great, I mean anyone can disarm, I'll bet even my muggle cousin could!" Harry said sarcastically.   
  
        "Well, I don't quite believe a MUGGLE could do it, but you've proven my point that it was nothing, you really don't need to try and repay me, I was just helping a friend."   
  
        "Even so, thank you," Harry said sincerely.   
  
        "You're welcome," Ginny said with a smile as they headed towards classes. They were already going to be late.   
  
        After an uneventful day of classes, Ginny met up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the Great Hall for dinner. The moment she sat down to eat, professor Snape came by and stopped in front of her and Harry.   
  
        "Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, detention! My office! Eight o'clock sharp!" Snape hissed at them.   
  
        "Oh no, I guess that means no quidditch today." Ron said jokingly, he knew Harry and Ginny hadn't done anything wrong lately, even by Snape's standards.   
  
        "This is not a laughing matter, Mr. Weasley, but feel free to keep laughing if you would like to join your friends," Snape drawled on.   
  
        "But Professor, we haven't done anything." Harry said, somewhat exasperated.   
  
        "I realize, Mr. Potter, that you are under the pretense that nothing you do is wrong, but I did see you two pull that little stunt against Mr. Malfoy today after class." Snape said glaring at them.   
  
        "You obviously didn't see the whole thing if we're the ones in detention." Harry muttered under his breath, Ginny had to suppress a laugh. Snape walked away, appearing as though he hadn't heard Harry's little comment.   
  
        "What did Malfoy do now?" Ron asked beginning to look infuriated. Ginny and Harry explained the whole scene to Ron and Hermione.   
  
        "Well, that's just ridiculous of him to give you detention isn't it? I mean it was self defense!" Hermione said a bit flustered.   
  
        "When has Snape ever given us a detention we actually deserved?" Ginny retorted.   
  
        "He didn't even see us with Malfoy today, trust me, _no one_ was around." Harry said seriously.   
  
        "Well then Malfoy must have told him about it to get you in trouble, and of course he would have exaggerated to make it look like it was all your fault." Hermione stated quickly.   
  
        "Look can we just change the subject? Harry and I already have to spend a night around Snape, lets not talk about him as well." Said Ginny looking disgusted. Harry, Ron, and Hermione laughed in agreement.   
  
        After dinner the four of them headed up to Gryffindor tower, where Harry and Ginny just barely finished their homework before they had to leave for detention.   
  
        "I guess we better go get this over with." Harry said somberly.   
  
        "Oh, lighten up, Harry, we're not dying!" Ginny joked.   
  
        "Well, it's close enough!" Harry replied as the two made their way down to the dungeons. When they arrived Snape was standing around waiting for them, looking menacing as ever.   
  
        "You're late!" He spat at them, and pointed to the door. Harry and Ginny went inside, wondering what on earth they would have to do this time, and for how long they would be stuck there.  
  
AN: I know it took forever and I have my reasons, which I'm not going to get into. I should be able to get chapters up sooner after this, but once again don't hold me to that. Please review, flaming is highly discouraged, though there's not much I can do about it. Please leave CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Oh yeah, and I saw Prisoner of Azkaban at midnight on opening night it was great! 


	3. Similarities

Disclaimer: You know the drill.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
        When Harry and Ginny walked into Snape's office they couldn't believe their eyes. The walls were painted red, and all the furniture was painted gold. There were very realistic Gryffindor lions on the walls, all of which roared loudly. Suddenly they heard a voice from behind them yelling, "Gryffindor Rules!" They turned around to see that the cabinet where Snape kept his potions ingredients was the culprit. It continued to yell at random intervals. It took all the self control Harry and Ginny possessed not to burst out in uproarious laughter.  
  
        "Dumbledore has decided to let your brothers," he said pointing to Ginny, "Get away with this destruction of property. If he had allowed me to report them, I would have had them sent to Azkaban as they are of age now." Snape continued, "But, luckily, you two, are being punished on my terms." Snape said with a cruel sneer. "Your job is to repaint my office, without using magic. Once you have finished that, I will give you your wands back and you can make my cabinet stop shouting. Do I make myself clear?" Harry and Ginny nodded and Snape turned and walked out the door, his cloak billowing behind him.  
  
        "We're going to be here all night!" Ginny whined.  
  
        "I know, I guess we better get started." Harry replied pointing to the cans of green and black paint in the corner. "I wish I had a camera though, this room really is the funniest thing I've ever seen." Harry added.  
  
        "It really is, I wonder how the twins managed to get in here, they're not even students anymore." Ginny said in disbelief.  
  
        "I still can't believe they only got 3 OWLS each." Harry said shaking his head, "but it really couldn't have been them, they don't hang around here. Snape just won't let go of old rivalries." Harry said picking up a brush and starting to paint. Suddenly an awkward silence filled the room. A similar conversation had occurred before, and Ginny didn't want to continue it, knowing that it would lead to Sirius, and Harry would just break down and yell. Normally she felt it was healthy for him to let it out, but she decided not to make him mad if she was going to be locked in a small room with him all night. They painted in silence for almost an hour before Harry opened his mouth again.  
  
        "So, er...where did you hear the name Zachariah?" Harry asked.  
  
        "What?" Said Ginny very taken-aback before she remembered the conversation in the Great Hall that morning.  
  
        "Hermione said you had been talking about a Zachariah in your sleep." Harry started cautiously, "And I know you said you don't know a Zachariah, and Ron may not have picked up on it, but I knew you where lying." Harry continued hesitantly, "You know him from a dream, don't you?" Harry finished. Ginny was speechless. She tried to say something, but when she opened her mouth nothing would come out. Finally, she managed to force out a response.  
  
        "Yes, I know him from a dream, the same dream as you." Ginny replied looking him squarely in the eye. Now it was Harry's turn to be dumbstruck.  
  
        When he finally managed to speak again he said, "How do you know about that?"  
  
        "I overheard you telling Ron in the common room last night." Ginny replied.  
  
        "So, Lucia is in your dream too then? And they look just like..." Harry trailed off.  
  
        "Like us." Ginny finished for him.  
  
        "How long?" Harry asked.  
  
        "Pardon?" Ginny replied.  
  
        "How long have you had this dream?" Harry said, slightly more demanding.  
  
        "Years, since before I even met you." Ginny answered. "What about you?" She ventured.  
  
        "Only about a year." Said Harry, "They started after I got serious about Occlumency and started blocking out thoughts from Voldemort."  
  
        "What happens in your dream?" Ginny said putting down her paintbrush and turning her full attention to Harry.  
  
        "Zachariah and Lucia, are er, well having a moment, they're lovers. It's like something out of a muggle romance film, which I know you wouldn't understand but it helps me understand it." Ginny nodded and made a gesture indicating that he should continue. "And well, they say they love each other, then Lucia looks over Zachariah's shoulder and this horrified look comes over her face, but I always wake up before I see what's frightened her." Harry finished. He had been staring down at his hands the whole time, and now he finally looked up at Ginny, who had been trying to look him in the eyes the whole time.  
  
        "Mine is exactly the same." Ginny stated, "Except I usually wake up before Lucia gets frightened, I only remember seeing that part once now that you mention it." Ginny yawned, it was very late and they weren't even half done.  
  
        "Look, let's get back to painting, I'm tired and I'd like to get out of here." Harry said. He was starting to act a little crabby, and Ginny didn't know if he really was just tired or if she had irritated him. She decided she didn't care either way; she just wanted to get out of detention. At two o'clock in the morning, Harry and Ginny finished painting and retrieved their wands from Snape. Harry quickly put a silencing charm on the cabinet.  
  
        "Hopefully he doesn't realize that we didn't actually stop it from yelling." Harry said.  
  
        "I don't think he will, as long as he's not hearing it, he won't notice that all we did was silence it." Ginny replied.  
  
        "I guess you're right. Come on, let's get to bed I'm exhausted." Harry said  
  
        "Me too." Ginny replied yawning. They walked back to Gryffindor Tower in silence. They both headed up their respective stairways, but before she reached the top Ginny turned around to wish Harry goodnight.  
  
        "Goodnight, Harry." She said smiling at him  
  
        "'Night Ginny." Harry replied sleepily. Harry and Ginny went into their dormitories and collapsed on their beds, falling asleep immediately.  
  
        "GINNY GET UP!" Hermione shouted in her friend's ear.  
  
        "Ugh," Ginny groaned, "It can't be morning already!"  
  
        "Oh, but it is, and we need to go to breakfast!" Hermione retorted.  
  
        "Fine." Ginny said sleepily getting out from under the covers.  
  
        "Oh, Ginny, you slept in your uniform? That shows such a lack of organization." Hermione said.  
  
        "Look _Hermy_, I got back from detention after 2 AM, don't patronize me." Ginny snapped, emphasizing Hermione's dreaded nickname.  
  
        "I'm sorry, I'm just trying to help. And never use that nickname again, I'd rather you just beat me up next time you're mad then do that." Hermione said in a sarcastic tone, but Ginny knew she was actually quite serious. Ginny laughed at Hermione as she grabbed her book bag and headed toward the Great Hall. When Hermione and Ginny arrived, Harry and Ron were already there. Ron was shoveling food into his mouth, and Harry would be falling asleep in his breakfast if he hadn't rested his elbows on the table so that his hands would catch his head every time he fell asleep.  
  
        "What happened last night, this one's been so tired he couldn't even tell me how late you got in." Said Ron gesturing towards Harry.  
  
        "We had to paint Snape's office, we got back after two." Ginny sighed slumping into her seat and resting her head on her arms, which were crossed on top of the table.  
  
        "Looks like they're both going to sleep through breakfast." Said Ron incredulously, wondering how anyone could get by with skipping a meal.  
  
        "I just hope they're going to be okay for class, they are awfully tired." Hermione commented.  
  
        "Class is all you ever worry about. Honestly Hermione, it won't hurt them to miss a day." Ron said, annoyed that she seemed to care about them making it to class, but not about their health.  
  
        "Well, you don't take class seriously enough, Ronald!" Hermione yelled. When Hermione called Ron, 'Ronald,' they were having a fight. That was a telltale sign.  
  
        "Why are we always arguing?" Ron asked after a long pause. Neither of them had ever said it so bluntly before, and normally Ron was the first one to let his temper flare up and argue right back, which only set Hermione off.  
  
        Hermione had never seen Ron react this way to being yelled at. She began to wonder if something was wrong with him. He was, for the first time in his life, keeping his temper under control.  
  
        "I don't know." Hermione finally responded. "It's just that we disagree about so many little things and then you have this horrible temper that always starts you yelling, which just sets me off and then..."  
  
        Ron cut her off, "I DO NOT HAVE A HORRIBLE TEMPER!"  
  
        "WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT LITTLE OUTBURST RIGHT THERE THEN?" Hermione screamed back. He was back to normal all right. She turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving Ron behind fuming. Ron sat there complaining about Hermione to Harry and Ginny, even though they were both asleep, until it was time to go to class. He woke up Harry and Ginny, who followed him mindlessly. They were both just so tired. This worked out fine for Harry, but Ginny was not in their year. When they arrived out by Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures, Ron noticed she was still following them.  
  
        "Um, Ginny, you're in the wrong class." Ron said confusedly.  
  
        "Oh no!" Ginny shouted. "I'm meant to be in Potions, Professor Snape is going to kill me!" She turned and sprinted back towards the castle. Harry and Ron laughed as they watched her go.  
  
        "Honestly, if she's so tired she can't figure out where to go, it's not going to do her any good to be in class, she won't remember anything. Hermione really is too uptight about missing class." Said Ron.  
  
        "Well if she took notes she could go over them later and she'd learn the material just the same!" Said Hermione getting annoyed.  
  
        "Or, she could catch up on her sleep and borrow someone else's notes!" Ron snarled back at her.  
  
        "Ok, this stops right now!" Harry bellowed, stepping between Ron and Hermione and staying firmly planted there. Ron and Hermione both turned to him in surprise. He had always tried to stay out of their arguments before. This argument would probably have gotten a lot more heated, if Hagrid hadn't chosen exactly this moment to start class.  
  
AN: I am out of town and now only have dial up internet, so chapters may not get posted for a while. Or they might I don't really know for sure. As always, constructive criticism is appreciated, flaming is not. I like the detention part of this chapter and then I think it got not so good so I may rewrite later. Or maybe later I'll decide I like it. Anyway I'm babbling so just, please review and thanks for reading! 


	4. The Prediction

Disclaimer: You know the drill  
  
Chapter 4  
  
        After an uneventful Care of Magical Creatures, and an equally dull Transfiguration class, Harry and Ron headed off to Divination, while Hermione went to Arithmancy.  
  
        Harry and Ron climbed the ladder to Professor Trelawney's classroom, where they were overwhelmed by the heat and familiar sleep-inducing perfume. Ron was snoring loudly, and Harry was barely awake when Professor Trelawney stopped suddenly at Harry and Ron's table, startling them both awake.  
  
        "A vision!" Professor Trelawney gasped excitedly. Lavender and Parvati squealed with excitement from the other side of the room. "You!" Professor Trelawney pointed to Harry, "In a few days time, you will be leaving us!" Professor Trelawney said shaking a bit for the effect. Ron snickered into his sleeve, and Harry stomped on Ron's foot under the table, trying to shut him up. When Professor Trelawney walked away, Ron turned to Harry and whispered in his ear.  
  
        "She's mental, that one. What a phony old bat." He said.  
  
        "Really, according to her I should have died and come back about seven thousand times by now. Looks like it'll be happening once more." Harry said sarcastically. Divination ended with little more excitement, and Harry and Ron headed to the Great Hall to meet Hermione and Ginny for lunch.  
  
        "How was Divination?" Hermione asked through her snickering, "I suppose Trelawney is still an old fraud?" She said still laughing at them. She couldn't believe they continued to waste their time in that class.  
  
        "Oh the usual, Harry's supposed to die." Ron said grinning. All four of them burst out laughing.  
  
        "How many times is that now, Harry?" Ginny asked through her laughing.  
  
        "I don't know. I stopped counting after three or four. In other words, after the first week of Divination back in third year." Harry replied. They all continued to laugh through lunch.  
  
        After lunch, Ron and Ginny headed back to Gryffindor tower to get their books while Harry and Hermione walked to Charms together.  
  
        "Harry, don't think I've gone mad or anything, but I still worry every time that old fraud predicts your death." Hermione said.  
  
        "Honestly, so do I, especially after I found out she _has_ made a true prediction or two in her time, and they were big ones." Harry responded. Harry had told his friends about the prophecy during his sixth year, and of course they knew about Peter Pettigrew's return during third year.  
  
        "That's exactly it, no matter how phony Trelawney is, there's always the reality that V-Voldemort is after you." Hermione said under her breath, barely audible.  
  
        "Hermione, I can't believe you still can hardly say his name." Harry said shaking his head.  
  
        "I'm not the one with the ability to defeat him, he actually poses a threat to some of us." Hermione joked.  
  
        "Alright, I get the hint I won't bother you about it anymore." Harry said as they opened the door to Professor Flitwick's classroom. Harry sat down next to Ron, and Hermione sat behind them, next to Neville.  
  
        The rest of the day was uneventful until the Gryffindor quidditch team had practice. At one point, Ron had been reaching out to stop the quaffle, when a bludger got away from the beaters, Dean and Seamus, they had nothing on Fred and George, but they were what the team had to work with. The runaway bludger hit Ron hard on the hip as he reached for the quaffle. He made the save, but the bludger had smashed his hipbone. Hermione, Harry, and Ginny were now gathered around his bed in the hospital wing.  
  
        "You're in for a rough night, Mr. Weasley." Madam Pomfrey said while measuring out some potions. "I think it would be best if you took a sleeping draught to make sure you get enough rest." She continued, handing him a goblet. Ron drank it all, and then made a disgusted face. Harry laughed; he knew all too well how unpleasant sleeping potions were. Ron was soon dead to the world, and Madame Pomfrey told Harry, Hermione, and Ginny that visiting hours were over and sent them back to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
        "I really hope Ron's okay." Hermione said suddenly, breaking the silence.  
  
        "I know, that accident looked really painful." Harry said. A second later, Harry's face broke into a mischievous grin. "Hermione, I think I'm going to get my invisibility cloak and go visit Ron tonight, want to come?"  
  
        "Harry, that's a great idea!" She turned to ask Ginny if she wanted to come as well, but Ginny had already gone up to bed. Harry ran up the stairs to his dormitory, and seconds later returned with the beautiful silvery cloak folded in his hands. He threw it over Hermione and himself, and they headed toward the hospital wing. Once they arrived, they sat down in chairs next to Ron's bed and stayed there silently, both hoping Ron was sleeping well.  
  
        After about an hour in the hospital wing, Harry decided he should go get some sleep. He turned to Hermione, only to see that she had fallen asleep, and was now sitting in her chair, bent over the bed, with her head on Ron's chest. Harry smiled to himself as he covered her with the invisibility cloak to make sure Madame Pomfrey wouldn't catch her. He then pulled the Marauder's Map out of his pocket, and back to Gryffindor Tower, making sure to avoid Filch and his cat. When he walked through the portrait hole and into the common room, he sat on an overstuffed couch in front of the fire, planning to warm up for a few minutes before heading up to bed. It was dreadfully cold in the castle at night. Without meaning to, Harry fell asleep on the couch.  
  
        Around three o'clock in the morning, Harry awoke as he felt the end of the couch near his feat sink. He looked up to see Ginny staring at the fire, with a terrified look on her face. She was ghostly white, and her hair was sticking to her forehead and the sides of her face from perspiration.  
  
        "Ginny?" Harry questioned, surprised to see her in the common room at this hour.  
  
        "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry I was trying not to wake you." She replied, having jumped a bit when she heard his voice.  
  
        "Are you alright?" Harry asked.  
  
        "Fine, fine." Ginny assured him.  
  
        "You don't look fine, and if you were you wouldn't be hanging around the common room at this hour." Harry said, trying to coax it out of her.  
  
        "I just had a nightmare that's all." Ginny sighed.  
  
        "About what?" Harry inquired.  
  
        "Tom." Ginny replied, her voice cracked a little, but she was obviously trying not to seem afraid.  
  
        "I have nightmares about him all the time, I know how that feels." Said Harry.  
  
        "Yours must be a million times worse, I mean with your parents and all." Ginny immediately wished she could take it back, she didn't want to make him think about his parents and get upset for no reason.  
  
        "I think any dream about him is awful." Harry said, trying to be comforting, but in reality he felt that his were much worse. After a long silence, Harry spoke again. "Why do you call him Tom? Why not You-Know- Who or Voldemort?" Harry asked. He had always wondered about this, but never bothered to ask.  
  
        "It's because, through that diary, I talked to him a lot and got to know him. I got to know him as Tom, sixteen year old Tom Riddle, before he became the darkest wizard in the world." Ginny said, her voice cracking as she remembered her first year. She could feel tears coming on, and she wanted to cry, but she fought the tears back. Crying made her feel weak. After hearing this, Harry realized that maybe her dreams where just as bad as his, after all she had been possessed by Voldemort.  
  
        "You thought of him as a friend, didn't you?" Harry asked.  
  
        "I did. When I talked to him through the diary he seemed so nice, and so understanding." Ginny said, having more trouble fighting her tears. She hadn't thought about, or talked about the diary since it happened. Quite the contrary, she had tried to forget all about it.  
  
        "Ginny, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." Harry said. Harry was still lying on his side with Ginny sitting on the end of the couch by his feet. He was amazed at how well she could prevent herself from crying, and at the same time wondering why she so adamantly refused to cry. Harry was too tired for analytical thinking, and quickly drifted off to sleep. After a few minutes, Ginny spoke again.  
  
        "I don't think I want to go back up to my dormitory tonight." Ginny said, no longer sounding like she might cry. "I'm going to stay down here by the fire, it feels safer." She looked down at Harry and noticed that he was asleep. She laughed lightly and said jokingly, "Am I really that boring?" She lay down on the couch so that she was wedged between Harry and the back of the couch, now feeling very secure. She summoned a blanket and covered Harry and herself with it. Unfortunately, the noise had woken Harry up; he started to get up when Ginny stopped him.  
  
        "Do you think you could stay down here? I'm still kind of scared." Ginny said.  
  
        "Er...I guess." Harry said.  
  
        "Normally I bother one of my brothers when I get scared but Ron is in the hospital wing. Thanks for staying, Harry." Ginny said sincerely.  
  
        "No problem, just please stop talking and let me sleep." He said jokingly, although he was partially serious.  
  
        "Sorry." Ginny whispered as she lay down again, her forehead resting on his upper back. Harry reached behind him and took Ginny's hand, holding it in his own.  
  
        "There's nothing to worry about, anyone who would take Wormtail as his right-hand man can't really be all that powerful." Harry said. Ginny giggled at this, and after a long silence she spoke again.  
  
        "We sure do have a lot in common when it comes to dreams, don't we?" No answer. Harry had fallen asleep again. With nothing else left to do, Ginny closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.  
  
AN: Look how quickly I got the next chapter up! They'll be going back in time soon...but I'm not telling how soon. And as you can see this will have Ron/Hermione too, but it's mainly Harry/Ginny, I don't think I've mentioned that yet. Please review! Constructive criticism=appreciated. Flaming=crap. Thanks for reading! 


	5. The Big Bang

Disclaimer: You know the drill  
  
Chapter 5  
  
        Harry awoke the next morning to Ron and Hermione standing over him. Ron and Hermione had their arms around each other, mostly because Ron needed support to walk, as his hip wasn't completely healed yet. Neither of them seemed willing to admit that they were enjoying it; it was simply practical. Hermione was smiling down at him, but Ron looked livid. That's when Harry felt Ginny's hand move in his own, and remembered she was sleeping behind him.  
  
        "What do you think you're doing with my sister?" Ron said, not yelling, but in a tone that conveyed more anger than Ron had ever conveyed before, and that was really saying something.  
  
        "Shut up, Ron, this is Harry you're talking to." Hermione nudged Ron in the stomach with her elbow.  
  
        "Relax, she just had a nightmare and since you and Hermione were in the hospital wing she found me." Harry replied.  
  
        "Another nightmare?" Ron said incredulously, "She's been having them all the time lately." Harry wondered how she had time for so many nightmares as well as the dreams about Zachariah and Lucia, but he quickly dismissed this thinking, realizing he did the same thing. There really are a lot of hours in a night. His train of thought was completely cut off by Ginny's voice.  
  
        "Ron, the whole world doesn't need to know that I've been having nightmares, lower your voice." Ginny said sternly, getting up and climbing over Harry to get off the couch.  
  
        "Ron, let's go get breakfast, Harry and Ginny can meet us after they've tidied up." Hermione said quickly. Harry and Ginny both looked down at their clothes, Harry was wearing his wrinkled uniform from yesterday, as he'd never made it up to his dormitory, and Ginny was still wearing her pajamas.  
  
        After they had both gotten changed, Harry and Ginny met in the common room and walked to breakfast together.  
  
        "Thanks a lot for staying last night, I slept well once I wasn't alone anymore." Ginny said smiling as they started down the long corridor toward the Great Hall.  
  
        "No problem, I slept pretty well too." Harry replied smiling back at her. "I wanted to ask you, did you have the dream about Zachariah and Lucia last night? I mean after you went back to sleep, when I was there." Harry asked.  
  
        "Actually, I did, how about you?" Ginny questioned, but she was pretty sure she knew the answer.  
  
        "Yes, I did." He said. Ginny had been right, she wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew he must have had the dream too. She quit pondering this when he spoke again, "I also got about a second farther into it before I woke up. Lucia had that terrified face, and then there was a loud bang before I woke up. I had never heard that bang before, it was an awful sound." He said looking a little shaken.  
  
        "I heard it too! Maybe we're allowed to see further into the dream when we have it together." Ginny said, voicing her theory.  
  
        "I was thinking the same thing, and I was also thinking maybe we both had the dream last night because we were sleeping together." Harry said, blushing at the phrase 'sleeping together.'  
  
        "I just wish I could find out what that horrible bang was." Ginny said, exasperated. Then, with a sly look in her eye she said, "How would you feel about another night on the couch?"  
  
        "It's worth a try I suppose, but what will Ron say?" Harry wondered.  
  
        "Who cares what Ron says? Besides, we can just tell him I had another nightmare." Ginny said thinking quickly.  
  
        "I care what he says, I don't want my best friend mad at me. If we say you had another nightmare he'll get suspicious and wonder why you didn't come to him or Hermione. I think we should just tell him what's going on."  
  
        "Okay, but then we have to tell Hermione too, she can't be the only one of the four that doesn't know." Ginny said as she walked into the Great Hall, slightly ahead of Harry.  
  
        "Fine." Harry said, thinking they could probably use Hermione's vast amount of knowledge to help them decipher what the dream meant or what was going to happen. Harry and Ginny sat down with Ron and Hermione, who had neglected to remove their arms from around each other, even though Ron was sitting down and no longer needed the support it provided. Harry told Ron and Hermione about the joint dream, and how they had gotten farther along when they slept together.  
  
        "We just wanted you to know what was going on, in case you find us on the couch like that again." Ginny said.  
  
        "Yeah, I don't think I could handle you being mad at me." Harry said to Ron.  
  
        "Fine, but you had better not lay a hand on my sister!" Ron said sounding a little angry.  
  
        Hermione laughed, "Ron, you can trust Harry, and you know it."  
  
        "Besides, I can take care of myself!" Ginny added vehemently.  
  
        "So, exactly how many nights are you planning to do this?" Ron asked looking a little uncomfortable.  
  
        "We don't really know, it depends how far we can get into the dream in one night, and we won't know that until after tonight." Ginny said hoping Ron wouldn't blow up at them.  
  
        "Alright, I guess I'm curious about the meaning of those dreams myself." Ron said giving up.  
  
        "Me too," said Hermione looking bewildered. "I've never been so utterly clueless about what's going on." The other three laughed at Hermione as they all got up and left the Great Hall to go to class. In the corridor outside the Great Hall, Ginny went towards the dungeons for potions, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed outside to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. Harry walked ahead of Ron and Hermione, who were walking very slowly, because Hermione had to help Ron walk.  
  
        It seemed like seconds later that all classes for the day were over, and Harry was heading to the Great Hall for dinner with Ron and Hermione. He had been preoccupied all day, thinking about the dream and Ginny. After last night he felt bonded to her, closer than he felt to anyone, even Ron and Hermione, even Sirius. At the thought of Sirius he was overwhelmed by an intense pain in his chest, he couldn't stop the tears from coming as he sat down next to Ginny.  
  
        "Are you okay, Mate?" Ron asked when he noticed Harry. The concern in his voice made Hermione look up.  
  
        "Oh my gosh, Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione inquired looking very worried.  
  
        "Nothing." Harry sobbed, "I don't feel much like eating I think I'll go back to Gryffindor tower." With that he got up and left.  
  
        "I'm going to make sure he's really okay." Ginny said as she got up and chased him out. She caught up to him at the staircases near the Fat Lady's portrait. He was sitting on the stairs, crying his eyes out, his glasses fogging up.  
  
        "Sirius?" She asked as she sat down next to him.  
  
        "What else?" He responded, dreading the attempts at comfort she would make, just like everyone else, telling him it would be okay, telling him Sirius was in a better place, none of it made any difference to him, and he didn't want to hear it. But Ginny didn't try any of those things. She just wrapped her arms around him and held on tightly while he sobbed into her shoulder. It was so much more comforting than anything anyone had tried to tell him. In fact, it was exactly what he needed. Even after he stopped crying she held on, just until she could be sure he felt completely better. They separated only when the staircase moved and jerked them apart.  
  
        "Thanks Ginny." Harry said, "For literally being a shoulder to cry on."  
  
        "No problem." She said, "It helps to cry."  
  
        "Then why do you always try so hard not to?" Harry asked. Ginny looked taken aback, so he added, "It's just that, I've noticed a few times when you were going through something really tough, something that would make anyone cry, and you rightfully looked as though you would burst into tears at any second, you never did. You always hold it back."  
  
        "I don't know, I feel weak if I cry, which, I guess is pretty stupid. Maybe I should take my own advice." She joked.  
  
        "It was good advice." He said sincerely, "I'm going to go to the library to do my homework, I'm sure Hermione has already dragged Ron there, and you're welcome to come too if you want."  
  
        "Actually, I really need to study alone, I have too much trouble concentrating when I'm around you lot." She laughed. "But I'll see you all tonight after all homework is complete." Ginny replied.  
  
        "If you're sure." Harry shrugged before heading off. Ginny couldn't help but smile as she watched him walking away.  
  
        When Harry arrived in the library, he found Ron and Hermione in a corner table, doing homework and exchanging kisses every so often.  
  
        "Nice of you to tell me you're an item." Harry said to them sarcastically.  
  
        "We just got together during dinner after you and Ginny left, Ron asked me out. You're still the first to know." Hermione said diplomatically, trying to keep peace.  
  
        "It's no problem, but I think I'll go find someplace else to work and leave you newlyweds to it if you don't mind."  
  
        "That's not funny, Harry." Hermione said through giggles.  
  
        "Then don't laugh." Harry replied as he ducked from a spell Ron had cast to turn his hair blue, and ran out of the library before the joke spells got too out of hand. There were times when it became obvious that Ron was related to Fred and George.  
  
        Harry headed back to the common room where Ginny was working on homework.  
  
        "That was fast." She said when he walked through the portrait hole.  
  
        "Well I decided to give Ron and Hermione some privacy while they go at it in the library." Harry said facetiously.  
  
        "You're not serious!" She gasped.  
  
        "Do I sound serious?" He asked jokingly, "No I'm not but they are kissing a little, apparently Ron finally figured things out and asked Hermione out properly." Harry said.  
  
        "Oh that's great!" Ginny squealed, "I'm not going to do anymore homework tonight, this isn't due for a few days anyway."  
  
        "Mine isn't either." Harry said, "And I'm kind of tired."  
  
        "Me too, come to that, I'll go get my pajamas on and meet you down here." She replied.  
  
        It was a cold winter night, so both Harry and Ginny returned to the common room a few minutes later wearing flannel pajamas. Harry lay down on his side and squished up against the back of the couch, leaving room for Ginny in front of him. She lay down on her side as well, with her back to Harry. Ginny summoned a blanket to cover them both, and Harry reached around Ginny's waist and took her hand in his. He rested his forehead on the back of her head, and couldn't help noticing that her hair smelled like cinnamon and cloves. Ginny gave Harry's hand a squeeze and held both their hands tightly against her stomach.  
  
        "Goodnight Harry." Ginny said softly.  
  
        "'Night Ginny." He replied into the back of her head. They both drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Zachariah and Lucia.  
  
AN: Aw, some fluff in this chapter. Anyway, they go back in time next chapter, that's a guarantee. Thanks for reading! Please review, please don't flame. Enough said, I'm going to write an accompaniment to this story but I don't know when exactly, I just had a good idea for one. 


	6. Lucia

Disclaimer: You know the drill  
  
Chapter 6  
  
        Ginny awoke before Harry the next morning. It was a Saturday, so there were no classes to worry about. It was also a Hogsmeade weekend. Ginny rolled over onto her other side so that she was facing Harry. His arm was still around her. She noticed that his glasses were resting on the armrest of the couch, where he'd put them the night before. She picked them up and put them on, then ruffled Harry's hair to wake him up.  
  
        "Morning, Ginny." He said sleepily without opening his eyes.  
  
        "Morning, Harry." She said, trying very hard not to laugh. That's when he finally opened his eyes and looked at her. His vision was blurry, but not so blurry that he couldn't see her wearing his glasses. They both burst out laughing immediately.  
  
        "Ginny, I can't see give those back!" Harry whined with a smile on his face.  
  
        "I don't think so, they look better on me!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
        "Yes, they do, but you don't need them." He said taking them off her face and putting them on his own. "There, now I can actually see you." He said sitting up and pulling Ginny up with him. They sat side by side on the couch, Harry rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Finally, Ginny spoke.  
  
        "I didn't see any farther into the dream." She said sadly.  
  
        "Neither did I." Harry replied sounding equally disappointed. Ginny looked up at the clock, and noticed they had slept through breakfast.  
  
        "Oh no! Harry, look how late it is, we've got to get to Hogsmeade." They both dashed up to their dormitories to change, Harry came back with the Marauder's map in hand.  
  
        "We can use this to catch up to the others." He said pointing to the map. They used the passage that led from the school into the cellar below Honeydukes. They climbed up into the shop, where they found Ron and Hermione, arms around each other, buying sweets.  
  
        "Why didn't you wake us up, you git?" Ginny joked, punching Ron in the arm.  
  
        "Ouch! That hurt!" Ron cried jumping away from Ginny. Madame Pomfrey had completely healed his hip. "Hermione wouldn't let me, she said you looked too precious." Ron said in high voice, mimicking Hermione. Hermione jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "What is it? Pick on Ron Day?" He complained.  
  
        "You two did look darling." Hermione said with a dreamy smile on her face.  
  
        "So you let us almost miss Hogsmeade because we looked 'darling' then?" Harry asked Hermione, a playful smile on his face.  
  
        "Well, I figured you guys needed the extra sleep, if you were ready to wake up, you would have gotten up." She said logically.  
  
        "I don't even care about any of this, can we just get something to eat please?" Ginny said impatiently.  
  
        "Yeah, you see, Ginny and I didn't eat breakfast because someone decided not to wake us up." Harry said lightheartedly.  
  
        "I'm always up for food!" Ron added. The four of them walked out on the street, and then into The Three Broomsticks. It was even more crowded than usual, and the only open spot was at a large booth that was empty except for Luna Lovegood. Harry, Ron, and Ginny sat down, but upon seeing Luna, Hermione decided otherwise.  
  
        "I'll go get the drinks, and some sandwiches for Harry and Ginny." Hermione said, taking the opportunity to be away from Luna just a bit longer. Hermione returned with four butterbeers and two sandwiches much too soon for her liking.  
  
        "Thanks Hermione." Harry, Ron and Ginny mumbled in unison.  
  
        "So did you guys hear about the Death Eater sightings in this area?" Luna asked them, wide-eyed as ever.  
  
        "Death Eaters in Hogsmeade? That's Rubbish." Hermione scoffed.  
  
        "No it isn't, my father did a front page special on them in the latest edition of The Quibbler." She said holding up the publication, then looking dreamily at Ron. "You believe me don't you, Ronald?"  
  
        "Er—" Before Ron could finish answering Hermione had put an arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder, glaring at Luna as if marking her territory. "No, sorry Luna, Death Eaters in Hogsmeade are just a bit too out there." Ron finally finished.  
  
        "I'm not sure I believe you, but I'm not going to disregard anything I hear about Death Eaters, I can't afford to do that." Harry said somberly.  
  
        "Well that's a start." Luna huffed.  
  
        "Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I have some private shopping to do." Ginny said suddenly as she got up and left.  
  
        "What was that about?" Ron asked, clearly bewildered.  
  
        "I have no idea." Harry said looking equally confused.  
  
        "It's just girl stuff, honestly boys are so thick-headed." Hermione said exasperated.  
  
        "If boys are thick-headed, then you're dating someone thick-headed." Ron pointed out, not realizing quite how strange it sounded.  
  
        "Well, you're _my_ thick-headed boy." Hermione said reaching up to kiss him.  
  
        "Oh, that's disgusting, Luna and I don't want to see that, do we Luna?" Harry asked jokingly and making a false disgusted face.  
  
        "Oh, I think it's romantic." Luna said dreamily. Hermione was really starting to get annoyed with Luna and decided to do something about it.  
  
        "I'm going to go shopping for some new quills, would anyone like to come?" She said kicking Ron's shin under the table.  
  
        "Ouch! —Er sure." Ron said.  
  
        "No thanks, I'm going to finish reading." Luna said, now holding The Quibbler upside down. Ron and Hermione got up and left, Harry decided he would give them some alone time and stayed seated. In a few minutes he began to feel very awkward sitting alone with Luna.  
  
        "I think I'm going to go and...well, I'm just going to go." Harry said feeling very rude, but not being able to think of an excuse. "See you around, Luna."  
  
        "Bye Harry, watch out for Death Eaters." Luna replied.  
  
        "Yeah sure." Harry said halfheartedly. Harry headed out the door and walked toward the outskirts of the village.  
  
        Ginny came strolling out of Zonko's Joke Shop, with bags full of jokes. All the time she had spent with the twins was really starting to add up. She noticed a boy with a messy head full of black hair walking out of the main part of the village, into the mountains completely alone.  
  
        "Harry!" She called out, but he was too far away to hear her. She chased after him and caught up in the middle of a valley. "Harry." She said again out of breath, "What are you doing walking around alone?" She finally got out through her panting.  
  
        "Oh, I just decided to give Ron and Hermione some alone time." He said, but there was sadness in his eyes.  
  
        "Harry, why are you so sad, aren't you happy they're together?" Ginny wondered out loud.  
  
        "Of course I am, I just feel like the third wheel sometimes." Harry said.  
  
        "I know exactly how you feel, I felt the same way around the three of you when we were younger." She said knowingly.  
  
        "I'll bet you did, you know, I'm just glad they didn't get together before I got to be friends with you, otherwise I'd be really lonely." He said putting his arm around her shoulders and giving her a quick squeeze before dropping his arm again.  
  
        Suddenly, the rain that had been only drizzling started pouring from the sky, and Harry and Ginny were soaked almost instantly. Harry grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her into a nearby cave. Incidentally, the very same cave he spoke with Sirius in during his fourth year.  
  
        "It's freezing in here." Ginny said shivering. "And we're soaking wet, that's not helping any." She said cynically. "Oh, and I've gotten this cloak soaked, it's not even mine it's Hermione's." She said sounding upset.  
  
        "Well, I'm cold too, come here." Said Harry, with his arms open. Ginny noticed his lips were turning blue. Harry took off his cloak as Ginny came over and sat on his lap, and curled up in his arms. Once she was settled he wrapped his cloak around both of them. "Better?" He asked.  
  
        "Much." She said, "And at least we're out of the rain now too." There was a long silence before Harry spoke.  
  
        "I used to meet Sirius in this cave." Harry said, sounding as though he was about to cry again.  
  
        "Oh, Harry." Ginny sighed, tightening her arms around him. "We all just want you to be okay." She said.  
  
        "I know, but I just can't stop dwelling on it." He said sounding frustrated.  
  
        "Just give it time." Ginny replied calmly.  
  
        Out of the blue, several loud cracks were heard, and the cave was full of Death Eaters. Harry drew his wand quickly, but several Death Eaters attempted to disarm him at once, which not only sent his wand flying, but also sent him flying onto his back, unconscious on the ground.  
  
        Ginny was thrown across the cave, when Harry was hit, but the spell had not hit her. She quickly scrambled to her feet and reached into her pocket for her wand. When she didn't find it, she realized she must have left it in her dormitory. Ginny panicked, but with her hand still in the pocket of her robe, she felt Hermione's time turner resting there. Ginny did the first thing she could think of.  
  
        With a sudden rush of adrenaline, she raced over to Harry and sat beside where he lay unconscious. She threw the chain of the time turner around both their necks, and twisted it hastily. She felt everything spinning around her, when she abruptly passed out.  
  
        Ginny awoke in a Victorian style bedroom, lying on a canopy bed. She remembered turning the time turner to escape the Death Eaters. Then she felt very odd and passed out. She quickly remembered Harry, and hoped he was okay. A short, redheaded woman, who looked a little over thirty, entered the room, interrupting Ginny's train of thought.  
  
        "Lucia!" The woman cried! "Oh, my baby, thank goodness you're all right!"  
  
       _ 'Oh God!'_ Ginny thought when she heard the name. _'I must be in the eighteen hundreds. I don't think I twisted the time turner that many times. Or did I? Oh this is not good.'_ In her state of panic, Ginny passed out again.  
  
AN: There you have it! Back in time they are! I hope you're not disappointed with how it happened or anything for that matter. Thanks so much for reading. And a BIG thanks to everyone who has reviewed, everyone's given me really complimentary or constructive reviews, I've had no flames and I really appreciate that. Thanks so much everyone! 


	7. Rome in 1887

Disclaimer: You know the drill  
  
Chapter 7  
  
        Ginny awoke to find the sun shining into her room through a large window. She had been so frazzled the first time she saw it, she hadn't taken the chance to look around. She first noticed the wall covering; it was a loud, colorful floral pattern, which hurt her eyes to look at. She was lying in a canopy bed, with a bedspread of gold brocade, the wood frame was a dark cherry, and the canopy was white silk. She noticed oil lamps on both the bedside table, and the small desk across the room, next to the closet door. All the woodwork in the room was cherry. It would have been beautiful, Ginny thought, if only the walls were more neutral. Ginny stepped off of the bed and onto the small gold rug on the hardwood floor. She was going to have a better look around the room when the door opened. The same redheaded woman she'd seen before came in.  
  
        "Oh good, you're up, Lucia."  
  
        "Excuse me, but who are you?" Ginny inquired.  
  
        "What an ordeal you must have been through, not even remembering your own mother!" Ginny looked at the woman, thinking she didn't look old enough to be her mother, but remembered hearing Hermione go on about how women used to have children very young. She then realized that Lucia could be expected to have children very soon.  
  
        "So, mum," Ginny started deciding to play along, pretending that she was Lucia.  
  
        "Don't call me 'mum,' my name is Maria." The woman interrupted her blue eyes flashing dangerously, as though it was an insult.  
  
        "Ok, Maria, shall I be having children of my own soon?" Ginny finished.  
  
        "You should already be a mother, but you haven't found a man yet; your father is ready to disown you for that, so you had better be concentrating on finding a husband, I don't care what kind of out-of-your- mind state you may be in!" Ginny was very confused at this comment. She could have sworn Lucia was engaged to Zachariah. In fact, she was sure of it.  
  
        "So where's Harry?" She blurted out without thinking.  
  
        "Harry?" Maria asked.  
  
        "You know, untidy black hair, green eyes, glasses?" Ginny asked again.  
  
        "Oh you mean your brother's friend, Zachariah?" Maria asked, looking very confused. Ginny's ears perked up at the name Zachariah.  
  
        "Yes, that's who I mean." Ginny said self-assuredly.  
  
        "He's in your brother's room resting, he was out as long as you where." Maria said, "Oh, but he's fine." She added upon seeing Ginny's distressed look. "In fact I'll take you to him, your brother will want to see that you're awake." She finished. Maria led Ginny down a long, dim corridor, lit only by a few oil lamps. The corridor had walls with red and gold flowered covering, which reminded Ginny of Gryffindor Tower. The hallway had a hardwood floor just like her bedroom; she assumed the entire house had hardwood floors. Maria opened an exquisite door, carved with leaves and spiraling vines on the left side of the corridor. Ginny walked in and Maria bid her goodbye as she turned back toward the other end of the corridor. Upon walking into the room, Ginny saw Harry lying in a bed with a bedspread of deep green brocade, shade that almost matched his eyes. She looked around the room. It was exactly like hers, only with green rugs instead of gold, with gold and cream striped walls rather than the garish multicolored flowers on her walls, and the bed had no canopy. It was clearly a man's room. That's when her eyes settled on a young man who was identical to Ron. Ginny thought he must be Lucia's brother.  
  
        "Ron?" She asked without thinking.  
  
        "What? It's me, Alessio. You know, your big brother?" He asked looking worried.  
  
        "I'm sorry, I didn't even remember my own mother when I woke up." Ginny said. "I suppose we have five other brothers?" Ginny asked sarcastically figuring with all the similarities so far, Lucia probably had brothers just like hers. Alessio looked at her weirdly.  
  
        "Er...no." He replied. "We have two sisters though, Theresa and Rosalia."  
  
        "Sisters? I have sisters!" Ginny said a bit too excitedly. Harry stirred a bit in Alessio's bed and started to wake up.  
  
        "Well, I guess I'll leave you two alone." Alessio said, winking at her as he started to leave.  
  
        "Alessio! Wait!" Ginny cried. "What year is it?"  
  
        "It's 1887." He said stopped in the doorway, looking at her like she was mad.  
  
        "And...where are we?"  
  
        "You silly girl, we're in Roma, the greatest city on Earth!" Alessio replied making a grand gesture with his arms. 'He may look like Ron, but he sure doesn't act like him,' Ginny thought as Alessio turned around and left. Ginny hurried to sit on the bed next to Harry.  
  
        "Harry?" She asked  
  
        "Ginny?" He answered with a question.  
  
        "Yes, it's me." She said.  
  
        "What happened?" He asked holding his hand to his head as though he had an awful headache. Ginny told him about the time turner.  
  
        "Then how did Ron end up here?" Harry asked  
  
        "He didn't. That's Lucia's brother, Alessio, but it's frightening how much he looks like Ron isn't it?" Ginny said wide-eyed. Upon hearing the name Lucia, Harry's face twisted into an expression of utter disbelief.  
  
        "It certainly is. I was wondering why no one seemed to wonder who I was. I guess they must think I'm Zachariah. Ginny, how many times did you twist that thing?" Harry asked incredulously.  
  
        "Only two or three times, I swear, I was only trying to send us back a couple of hours, and we end up in 1887!" Ginny said frantically.  
  
        "Well, if you only twisted it a couple times, yet we ended up over a century back in time, there must be some reason we came to this time. I mean think about it, we have dreams about a couple, we twist a time turner two or three times, and end up over a hundred years back, and land right into the lives we've dreamt about! It's just too strange to be a coincidence." Harry said, his eyes narrowed. Ginny knew what he was thinking from those eyes.  
  
        "You think this has something to do with Tom?" She asked, grimacing.  
  
        "I think it just might." Harry started, "But it'll be almost impossible to find out for sure."  
  
        "Well, after the business with the diary, we know he has no qualms about meddling with time." Ginny said beginning to sound worried.  
  
        "You're absolutely right." Harry said looking as though he was deep in thought.  
  
        "The only thing I wonder about," Ginny started, "Is where the real Zachariah and Lucia are." Ginny said looking very distressed.  
  
        "I hadn't even thought of that, but you're right. Everyone thinks we are them, and the real Zachariah and Lucia have just...disappeared." Harry said in amazement.  
  
        "There is something extremely odd going on." Ginny sighed, flopping back on the bed, lying next to Harry.  
  
        They lay there in silence for about an hour, deep in thought, before Ginny remembered something. "Harry? In the dream, weren't Zachariah and Lucia engaged?" Ginny asked.  
  
        "Yes." He replied with certainty.  
  
        "Are you sure?" She asked again, trying to prod deeper into his memory.  
  
        "I'm positive." He said firmly. "Look!" He said picking up her left hand and holding it in front of her face so that she could see the small, diamond engagement ring on her third finger. Ginny gasped.  
  
        "I come back in time, Lucia's gone, everyone thinks I'm her, and I've got her engagement ring on! This is too weird!" Ginny said skeptically.  
  
        "My thoughts exactly." Harry agreed.  
  
        "Do you know what the strangest part is though?" Ginny asked, "Maria says that I'm still single, and I had better hurry up and find a husband before my father disowns me." Harry looked a little confused so she said, "In this time period, women are supposed to already be mothers by my age."  
  
        "But if Lucia's family is so eager to have her married, why wouldn't she tell them that she's engaged to Zachariah?" Harry pondered.  
  
        "I don't know, but there must be a reason, and it must be a big one." Ginny said seriously. Harry and Ginny heard the doorknob turn, and then Alessio poked his head in the door.  
  
        "Hey, Lucia, mum says it's time for dinner. She says Zachariah is welcome to join us if he wants." Alessio said. They got off the bed and followed Alessio through the long corridor, staying a bit behind him.  
  
        "The strange thing is Alessio seems to know and he's okay with it." Ginny whispered to Harry.  
  
        "You're right, I guess it would be hard for Zachariah to keep something like that from his best friend though...I mean I get the idea that Zachariah is Alessio's best friend." Harry whispered back. The three of them arrived at a pair of ornately carved wooden doors, which Alessio opened to reveal an elegant dining room. A large cherry table was in the center of the room; it was adorned with candelabras and a white silk tablecloth. There were various portraits of the family hanging on the walls in simple, yet elegant gold frames, and a large multilayered, decorative chandelier with candles hung above the table. Servants ran about the room busily carrying dishes to and from the table.  
  
        Harry and Ginny then looked around at the people seated at the table. There was Maria at one head of the table, and at the other head was a short, stocky man with thick, black hair, olive skin, and dark brown eyes. He looked about the same age as Maria. Ginny assumed this was Lucia's father. At one side of the table sat two identical twin girls, they looked about nineteen years old, and had thick, curly black hair, olive skin, and dark brown eyes. She assumed these two must be Theresa and Rosalia. They looked very much like their father, while Lucia and Alessio looked like their mother with pale skin and red hair. Alessio had neglected to tell her they were twins. When she saw them switching the sugar and salt bowls under the table, she was immediately reminded of Fred and George. Across from the twins, Alessio sat with an open seat on either side of him. Ginny took the one closest to Maria, and Harry took the one closest to Lucia's father.  
  
        "Good evening, father." Ginny said as she sat down.  
  
        "When will you learn, girl!" Her father barked, "You will not call me father, you may call me Signore, or Signore Garibaldi, but never father."  
  
        "Don't mind Dad," Alessio whispered to Ginny. "He's still bitter because he grew up being called Alfredo, so now he's picky about his name." Ginny giggled quietly, covering her mouth with her hand. Then she turned more serious.  
  
        "I wish I could remember everyone." Ginny said, still trying to make everyone believe she was Lucia.  
  
        "Who is this boy?" Signore Garibaldi grunted, pointing at Harry.  
  
        "Signore, this is my friend Zachariah, he's been here for dinner before." Alessio spoke up.  
  
        "Zachariah who?"  
  
        "Zachariah Butarelli." Alessio responded. Signore Garibaldi gasped lightly at the name Butarelli as though he knew something about that lineage, but recovered quickly.  
  
        "Well, he's Italian so I suppose he's welcome here." Signore Garibaldi grunted again. Ginny and Harry were slightly taken aback. They both began thinking that based on this man's comment, perhaps the problem he would have with a marriage to Zachariah was some form of prejudice. The family finished their meal without conversation, and everyone headed up to bed for the night.  
  
AN: I worked hard on this chapter, and I think it's my favorite so far, I really like it. I hope you all like it too. I would as always appreciate kind reviews of any kind (constructive criticism counts as kind, of course) and I may hunt you down and kill you if you flame (or...not). Anyway, I would like to see if anyone can figure out why Mr. Garibaldi wouldn't want Lucia to marry Zachariah, so if anyone has a guest please put it in your review. Thanks for reading!  
  
On a different note, I found a fun parallel between Voldemort and Hitler that I thought people on this site would be obsessed enough with Harry Potter to care about: Voldemort hates muggles/muggle borns and tries to kill all that aren't pureblooded wizards, yet his father was a muggle, he is not pureblooded himself. Hitler hated and tried to kill all Jews, Hitler's mother was Jewish, making Hitler half Jewish. Fascinating, I know. 


	8. The Library

Disclaimer: You know the drill.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
        Harry lay awake in bed thinking. It had gotten very late, past midnight. Harry knew he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight, and kept thinking about the situation he was in. He had to agree with Ginny, the biggest mystery was in fact what had happened to Lucia and Zachariah. If he and Ginny were in their place, had they gone to Hogwarts in the future? There was one other thing that was still bothering him, something that seemed very trivial compared to the ordeal with going back in time, but it concerned him nonetheless. What was that loud bang at the end of the dream? He knew it was a familiar sound, he knew he had heard it before. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Harry finally decided to forget about it for a while; he wanted to explore the Garibaldi Manor. Harry left the room he was in and turned right, heading down a long red and gold decorated corridor. He instinctively reached for his wand, not remembering that it had been left in the cave where the Death Eaters had attacked him.  
  
        Harry looked to his right and saw a wooden door. A small piece of wood was hung on the wall next to the door, carved into the wood were to words, _Signorina Lucia Garibaldi._ Above the carving was a small portrait of Lucia. Harry knocked on the door gently, but there was no answer. He opened the door and walked in to see Ginny sleeping beneath a silk canopy, wearing a white nightgown. She looked like an angel. Harry moved a few locks of blazing red hair out of her face, and then gently rubbed her shoulder to wake her up.  
  
        "Ginny." He whispered.  
  
        "What?" She replied without opening her eyes.  
  
        "Do you want to go look around the manor with me?" He asked.  
  
        "Harry?" Ginny questioned.  
  
        "Oh, you're quick when you're tired." He said jokingly.  
  
        "Shut up! Sure I'll come." She whispered. Ginny stood up and reached for the white dressing gown hanging on a hook on the wall next to the bed. She put it on and followed Harry out the door. They walked aimlessly through corridors finding many bedrooms and bathrooms. They found several large sitting rooms, all of which looked very similar, two large, green couches, flowered patterns on the walls in gold and cream colors, and cherry wood floors and end tables.  
  
        After about half an hour of exploring, they came to the end of a particularly long corridor. There were large double doors, and the carved wood sign hanging next to them read _Garibaldi Library._ Harry and Ginny quickly pushed the doors open and stepped inside. Being barefoot, Ginny immediately noticed that this was the only room in the manor thus far to have carpet. It was soft, royal purple carpet. The walls were done in gold with a pattern of leaves in different shades of gold. This room was also the only room in the house with mahogany woodwork in place of cherry. The three-floored library had bookshelves to just below the floor of the next level. The top two levels had shelves around the walls only, and the middle was open space, around a spiraling staircase. One could see from the ground level all the way up to the ceiling by looking through this space. The ceiling had been painted a royal purple, matching the carpet. On the first floor, there were lavender couches and two mahogany desks among the bookshelves. The couches where arranged around a fireplace, with end tables in between them, and a small coffee table in the middle. Oil lamps rested on various bookshelves, as well as desks and tables. Ginny had gasped immediately upon entering.  
  
        "This place is unbelievable!" Ginny said breathlessly.  
  
        "Yeah, and if we think this is amazing, just imagine what Hermione would say." Harry pointed out. Ginny climbed up the staircase to the top floor and looked down at Harry.  
  
        "Harry, this is incredible!" She said laughing, "Get up here!" Harry ran up the stairs to where Ginny was standing. When he got up there, Ginny was looking over the railing down at the first floor, and she had her back was to him. He ran up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and picked her up and put her down, slightly to the side of him. Ginny shrieked when she felt his arms go around her. "Harry James Potter! You scared the living daylights out of me!"  
  
        "Sorry Gin, but you had your back to me, I couldn't resist." Harry said laughing.  
  
        "Since when do you call me Gin?" She said suddenly. Harry's face immediately straightened and he looked uncomfortable.  
  
        "I, uh, I don't know, it's just easier to say I guess, you know, I'm too lazy to say two syllables when one would do." He joked.  
  
        "Alright." Ginny said feeling awkward as well. Gin was a name that only boyfriends, and very rarely one of her brothers ever called her. Never friends, she wasn't sure why, that was just the way it was.  
  
        "Is that okay?" Harry asked squeamishly.  
  
        "Sure...Harr." She said jokingly.  
  
        "Okay Gin is a cute name at least, Harr is just awful that's going to have to stop." Harry said acting as though he was really mad.  
  
        "Fine, fine, I just wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine." Ginny replied. They stood there in silence, and just as it was beginning to get really awkward, Ginny walked over to a bookshelf and began looking at books. "These are all muggle books." She blurted out suddenly.  
  
        "Well, maybe Lucia's family is interested in muggles, like your father." Harry suggested.  
  
        "I suppose...Oh this one looks good!" Ginny said holding a book out to Harry, _Pride and Prejudice._ "I'm going to sit in here and read it, it's so cozy." She said sitting down on a small couch, the only couch up on the third level, there wasn't a lot of extra space up there.  
  
        "Mind if I read with you?" Harry asked.  
  
        "Not at all." Ginny replied making room for Harry to lie down on his back. Ginny lay on her side, between Harry and the back of the couch. She rested her head against Harry's head and propped the book on his chest. Harry pulled his arm out from underneath Ginny and draped it around her waist. He used his other hand to help hold up the book on his chest. Harry and Ginny read like that for hours.  
  
        Early the following morning, Harry and Ginny could be found in the library sleeping in the very same position, only the book had fallen to the floor, and Ginny's arm now lay across Harry's chest. They had fallen asleep reading. Ginny woke up first, as sunbeams pouring through a small window between bookshelves hit her directly in the eyes.  
  
        "Harry, wake up." She said groggily, poking him in the arm. Harry just made an incoherent groan and settled back to sleep. "Harry!" Ginny said impatiently, now ruffling his hair.  
  
        "Gin, let me sleep!" He grunted. He was so sleepy it was hard to understand him.  
  
        "I have a question to ask you, so just wake your brain up, you don't have to move!" She said anxiously.  
  
        "Fine." Harry said opening his eyes and blinking a few times. "What did you want to ask?"  
  
        "Did you have any dreams about Zachariah and Lucia last night?" Ginny asked eagerly.  
  
        "No, did you?" Harry asked, wondering why it mattered now that they were in Zachariah and Lucia's time.  
  
        "No." She said solemnly, and then answered what Harry had been pondering in his mind. "I was hoping we'd dream up where they'd gone, now that we're in their place." Ginny said.  
  
        "Oh!" Harry said wide-eyed, as if a light bulb had been turned on in his mind.  
  
        "Oh my gosh!" Ginny said realizing where they were. "We have to get out of here! What if Signore Garibaldi catches us?" She asked, frantically jumping off the couch.  
  
        "You're right!" Harry stood up as well. Just then, it didn't matter to them why Signore Garibaldi couldn't tolerate Zachariah and Lucia being together, it only mattered that he couldn't. And although they had only met him once, they could tell he had a horrendous temper.  
  
        Harry and Ginny exited the library and ran off toward the corridor their rooms were in. Ginny's room was the first one on the left, and she dashed in as soon as they got there. Harry continued down the hall three more doors, but still on the left side, Harry dashed into the guestroom the Garibaldi's had let him use.  
  
        Only minutes after Ginny had climbed back into bed, pretending to be asleep, Maria knocked on the door lightly, and then came in.  
  
        "Lucia! Get up! It's time for breakfast!" Maria barked at her.  
  
        "Okay, I'll be down in just a minute." Ginny replied. Maria left the room, and Ginny could hear her shoes clicking down the hallway toward Alessio's room, and eventually Harry's. Ginny ran to Lucia's closet, and pulled out a simple, burgundy dress. It had a portrait neckline, and simple black lace trim around the wrists and neck. The hem came down to the floor, and compared to the other elaborate Victorian dresses in her closet, it seemed suitable for family breakfast. Ginny quickly brushed her hair, and pulled the front off her face and secured it with a small clip. She then hurried down to the dining room.  
  
        When Ginny entered the dining room, everything was set the same as the night before, except Alessio had sat near the end and left her a seat next to Harry.  
  
        "Good morning, Signore." She said to Signore Garibaldi before sitting down. Signore Garibaldi didn't answer.  
  
        "Good morning, Lucia." Alessio said smiling.  
  
        "Good morning, Alessio." She smiled back. He certainly was more agreeable than Ron, though seeing the physical likeness made her miss Ron.  
  
        "How much longer is he going to be here?" Signore Garibaldi asked, sounding hostile and pointing at Harry.  
  
        "At least a month, but his parents are out of the country on business, the stay is indefinite, Signore." Alessio said politely. Signore Garibaldi grimaced at the word indefinite. At this moment one of the twins spoke up.  
  
        "Signore, perhaps Alessio, Lucia, Theresa and myself could give Signore Butarelli a tour of the manor." Rosalia said.  
  
        "Fine, fine." Signore Garibaldi grunted. Harry spoke up at that moment.  
  
        "I'd just like to let everyone know now, there's no need for formality, please just call me Zachariah." Harry was actually thinking he'd never figure out these Italian titles, and would be better off trying to avoid them. Signore Garibaldi grunted at this as though it was ludicrous, but Harry ignored him. As soon as everyone had finished eating, Lucia, Zachariah, Alessio, and the twins began wandering the corridors. But rather than giving them a tour, Alessio led them straight to the library where they all sat on the couches around the fireplace on the first floor. Both Harry and Ginny began to get nervous. What if Alessio had seen them the night before? Maybe he approves of their engagement, but wouldn't want them spending the night together when they're not married. Ginny in particular, thought that if he looked so much like Ron, he must have some characteristics like Ron. Ginny's thoughts were interrupted when Theresa spoke up.  
  
        "Look everyone, we'd love to stay here and do nothing, but Rosalia and I have a plan to prank mum and dad's friends that are coming to visit."  
  
        "And we promise, it will be a good one!" Rosalia added. Alessio laughed and told them to go ahead and go. As soon as the twins had left the room, whispering on the way out, Alessio turned to Harry and Ginny.  
  
        "You two aren't really Zachariah and Lucia, are you?" He asked critically. Harry and Ginny were rendered speechless.  
  
AN: Aw, a fluffy chapter. I enjoy the cliffhanger as well. Well, I would being that I'm the sadistic, diabolical author who knows what happens next but is making you sweat it out. I appreciate reviews, and I bow down to those who have reviewed. Even if all you have to say is three words, please just do it, a review of any kind makes an author's day, really it does! See, look, I'm begging you now! Thanks for reading and thanks so much to those who review! I reposted this chapter to change one tiny little thing, the title of the book Ginny and Harry read because, as an on-the-ball reviewer pointed out, Gone With the Wind wasn't published yet. But, I assure you, Pride and Prejudice is old enough, so that's what it says now. 


	9. The Wand

Disclaimer: You know the drill.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
        Harry and Ginny just gaped at Alessio. Ginny couldn't help but wish Alessio was as much like Ron as he looked, Ron would never have figured anything like this out on his own.  
  
        "I'll take your expressions to mean I'm correct?" Harry slowly nodded. Ginny finally pulled herself out of her stupor enough to speak.  
  
        "How did you know?" She asked, still looking rather shocked.  
  
        "You really gave it away." Said Alessio, pointing to Harry. "Zachariah is my best friend, I've known him for years, and he loves tradition. Italian titles are a major tradition, which you so readily denounced today. The minute you said not to bother with formalities like 'Signore Butarelli' I knew you weren't the same Zachariah I've known my whole life."  
  
        "How did you know about me?" Ginny asked.  
  
        "Well, it was the fact that you didn't seem to notice anything wrong with Zachariah. Lucia has been friends with him as long as I have, and is now engaged to him, she knows him possibly better than I do." Alessio said. Then he added, "but if it weren't for that, you're so like Lucia it's positively frightening, I'd never have known."  
  
        "If Zachariah and Lucia are engaged, why was your mother telling me I needed to hurry up and find a husband?" Ginny asked, she already knew the answer, but just wanted to hear it confirmed.  
  
        "Mum and Dad don't know; they wanted to keep it a secret." Alessio responded.  
  
        "But why?" Harry asked.  
  
        "I don't even know that much, but I'm sure they have their reasons." Alessio responded. Harry and Ginny were both disappointed; this really was becoming a mystery. "Wait a minute, you guys keep asking me questions, and you're the ones that fell into my life. I should be asking the questions!" Alessio exclaimed.  
  
        "Okay, ask away." Harry said.  
  
        "First of all, how did you get here?"  
  
        "Well, we were in danger and accidentally twisted a time turner," Ginny said. Alessio looked confused, "I would have to guess they haven't been invented yet, judging by your face." Alessio nodded. Ginny continued on, "Well, we were facing a Dark Lord from our time, and we panicked, so I grabbed the time turner and twisted it just a couple times to bring us back a few hours, but we ended up here."  
  
        "So, what are your real names, where do you come from?" Alessio asked.  
  
        "My name is Ginny Weasley, and this is Harry Potter." Ginny said, "We're students in England, I'm in the sixth year and Harry's in the seventh." Ginny naturally assumed that because Hogwarts was over a thousand years old, and because it was the big British wizarding school, Alessio knew that must be where they went.  
  
        "Well, I guess you're in Lucia and Zachariah's bodies, what do you really look like?" Alessio asked.  
  
        "We're not in any other bodies, this is what we really look like." Said Ginny. Alessio looked shocked. Harry reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a picture of himself, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, and Percy scowling in the back as Bill and Charlie were holding onto his arms, forcing him into the picture. The twins were in front of Charlie, Bill and Percy, making goofy smiles and putting bunny ears on Harry and Ron. Ginny and Hermione were also in the front row, next to Harry and Ron. The picture had been taken the summer before when Harry and Hermione were staying with the Weasleys. Harry handed it to Alessio.  
  
        "Oh my goodness, you could be their twins." Alessio gasped. "Who's this? He looks just like me." Alessio said incredulously, pointing to Ron.  
  
        "That's my brother, Ron." Ginny said, "All the redheads are my brothers."  
  
        "Just one last question then. If you're here, where have my sister and best friend gone?" Alessio said looking worried.  
  
        "We have no idea." Harry said dropping his head. Alessio looked disappointed, as well as worried.  
  
        "Well thank you for telling the truth." Alessio said. "I have some thinking to do, I'll be in my room if anyone needs me." With that, Alessio handed the picture back to Harry, then got up and left. The clicking of his shoes on the wooden floor of the corridor had completely diminished, and Harry and Ginny were still silent.  
        "Well, I was worried he'd caught us sleeping together last night." Harry finally said, "Now I wish that was what he wanted to talk to us about."  
  
        Ginny laughed weakly. "Well, we're in a library, and a huge one at that. Maybe we can find something that could help us find out what happened to Zachariah and Lucia." She suggested.  
  
        "We looked through the books in here last night. They're all muggle books." Said Harry, sounding defeated. They sat in awkward silence again.  
  
        "So...Alessio's certainly a lot more observant than Ron, eh?" Ginny joked, trying to break the tension.  
  
        "Yeah, sure." Harry said half heartedly, looking at the picture in his hands. Ginny turned her attention to the picture as well.  
  
        "I miss Ron and Hermione too." She said, putting her hand on his back and rubbing it gently. Harry found this very soothing, and put his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against his chest, and soon felt wet drops fall onto her head. "What is it, Harry?" She asked compassionately, still rubbing his back.  
  
        "I was just thinking that the time turner disappeared after we came here, what if we can't get home." Harry sobbed gravely.  
  
        "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. There must be another way, I'm sure of it." Ginny said, although she didn't sound very certain.  
  
        Harry sat there letting Ginny comfort him once again. He felt like she had been doing that a lot lately. He realized how helpful it actually was, she was the only one that was so helpful. She had always been there for him, and even agreed to sleep with him on an overstuffed couch when he asked her to because he was so desperate to see into a dream. Sure, she'd gotten them stuck back in the nineteenth century, but she was only doing it to save them from the Death Eaters. He couldn't believe he had only become friends with her in the last two years, and he found himself wishing he'd noticed her sooner. He found himself beginning to fall in love with her as he thought back on recent events. Harry looked down at the top of her head and smiled to himself. Ginny looked up and saw Harry smiling down at her.  
  
        "What?" She asked.  
  
        "Just thinking how glad I am that I didn't get stuck back in time alone." He replied. It wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the truth either, and Ginny knew it, she gave him a skeptical look, then pulled away from him.  
  
        "I'm going to my room." She stated then left.  
  
        "What is it with people leaving to go to their rooms today?" Harry wondered out loud to the empty library.  
  
        Ginny hurried down the corridor to her room, and flopped backwards onto the bed. She felt bad about leaving so coldly, but she had to get out of there. In the past few days, she had found herself falling in Love with Harry. Again. And now she knew, this time it wasn't unrequited love. Ginny couldn't help but feel that all she did was bring trouble for Harry. In first year, when she found Tom Riddle's diary the only reason she had felt the need to write in it was to confide in someone about her crush on Harry. Then, because of her foolishness, Harry had to face a basilisk to save her. In her third year his name had found its way into the Goblet of Fire, and somehow she had convinced herself she was responsible, no matter how many people told her it was Barty Crouch Jr. The next year, Sirius had died at the Ministry of Magic; Ginny had managed to blame this on the fact that she was there. And now, she had gotten him stuck in the eighteen hundreds. Ginny became determined to keep Harry from falling for her; she couldn't let anything else happen to him. Ginny rolled over to take a nap, only to find it had gotten very hard to fall asleep without Harry after the last few nights. She was just drifting off when she heard the door open.  
  
        "Ginny? Are you okay?" Harry whispered. Harry was worried; she had never treated him so coldly, so he had thought he should come after her. Ginny decided to pretend she was asleep. She was lying on her side, with her back to Harry. She felt him lie down next to her. He was on his side, facing her. He put his hand on her back and moved it in small circles. Ginny didn't stir at all. Harry noticed that she hadn't reacted at all. "Gin, I know you're faking." He said. Ginny groaned.  
  
        "I'm sorry I was so cold to you, but can you please just let me be alone for a while?" She pleaded.  
  
        "Sure." Harry said feeling very hurt, but he got up and left the room nonetheless. Harry headed back to his bedroom. In the corridor, he ran into Alessio, who was just coming out of his room.  
  
        "Oh, hello, Zach...Harry." Alessio said rather awkwardly. "How are you?"  
  
        "Okay I guess." He said sounding thoroughly depressed.  
  
        "What's wrong?" Alessio asked sounding suspicious.  
  
        "Ginny told me to leave her alone for a while." Harry said sounding very upset.  
  
        "Is that all? Well, everyone needs time to think by themselves occasionally." Alessio started. "Look, it's obvious that you like her, but don't worry, she likes you too." Harry blushed a bit.  
  
        "No she doesn't. She used to, but I was too stupid to notice her and now she's over me." Harry said exasperatedly.  
  
        "Trust me, she likes you, but if she's like Lucia, which she seems to be, she will never admit it." Alessio said knowingly.  
  
        "I suppose." Harry sighed, and walked the rest of the way to his room. Harry sat down on the bed and ran his hand through his hopelessly messy hair. No matter how hard he tried to tell himself this was nothing, he knew she was only going to get more distant. He didn't know how he knew, he'd always been so clueless about girls in the past, but some how Ginny's actions made sense to him, somehow he knew her well enough to know what she would do. Trying to get his mind off of Ginny, Harry decided to search the room.  
  
        He went to look through the desk first. There was a wooden box on the desktop that looked like a quill case. A mystical bird that looked like a phoenix was carved on top, along with many symbols, which meant nothing to Harry. He thought that Hermione would probably know what they meant. He began to miss Ron and Hermione again, but tried to shake off the feeling of loneliness as he opened the box. Inside the case was an eleven- inch, holly wand. Harry assumed that because of the engraving on the case, it must have a phoenix feather core.  
  
        "This can't be my wand, it got left behind when the Death Eaters came." Harry thought out loud. He gave it a wave, and it felt just like his own wand. He decided to try it out.  
  
        "Accio pillow!" He called, and the pillow flew across the room into his hand. "Now for a real test," Harry said.  
  
        "Expecto Patronum!" A beautiful silvery stag came out of the tip of the wand, and galloped around the room a few times before disappearing. "This is my wand, it has to be." Harry said to himself. "But how did it get here?" Harry didn't have any more time to ponder this, as there was a knock at the door.  
  
        "Come in." Harry shouted. Alessio opened the door and poked his head inside.  
  
        "My father wants to see you in his study. I can show you the way right now." Alessio said.  
  
        "Okay, just give me a minute." Harry replied as Alessio shut the door. Harry could hear him tapping his foot impatiently on the hardwood floor of the corridor outside. Harry hurriedly put the wand back in its case. For the first time he noticed the handle, which his hand had been covering before. There was an engraving on the handle. The words _Z. Butarelli_ had been etched into the wood. Harry gasped just as Alessio popped in again.  
  
        "Are you coming or not?" He asked, getting a bit edgy from impatience.  
  
        "Oh, yeah." Harry said getting up. He followed Alessio through many turns in the corridors, but he would never remember any of them, as he couldn't keep his mind off that wand, Zachariah's wand.  
  
AN: Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed! You are the best, even if all you said was two or three words, you are all THE BEST! Some shout outs!  
  
Annika: You always review even if you have nothing really to say, you review for the sake of reviewing, that is what all fan fiction readers should strive to be like. Lol.  
  
Dramaqueen717: Thanks for always writing reviews every chapter, please please please keep it up! Oh and, it's not wierd at all to comment on grammar and spelling, they are the basis of any story, I completely agree with you about not being able to understand people because it's so bad. Sorry I tortured you with suspense, but it had to be that way. :).  
  
cherryblossom08: Thanks for always reviewing, and being really excited about the story when you write them. It's good to feel like someone truly can't wait to see what happens.  
  
Nightwing 509: Wow, you are amazing, you almost always submit a review within 10 minutes of my posting a new chapter. That's just incredible. I wish I had more readers as dedicated as you are.  
  
Rayah Papya: Thanks for leaving multiple reviews, and for being willing to tell me when you thought a chapter wasn't up to par with the rest, I need to know what the readers like and don't like. :)  
  
I know there are more of you, but I have things to do (like see POA again...even though I've already seen it 4 times...j/k I'm not seeing it again...today). THANKS TO EVERYONE PLEASE REVIEW! 


	10. The Pistol

Disclaimer: You know the drill  
  
Chapter 10  
  
        Alessio stopped in front of a large wooden door and gestured for Harry to walk in. Harry pushed the door open and entered what appeared to be a study. Signore Garibaldi sat behind an enormous, polished cherry desk writing with a quill.  
  
        "Ah, Signore Butarelli, I've been expecting you." Said Signore Garibaldi, not with as large a grunt as he spoke with at meals.  
  
        Harry didn't respond. Instead, he looked around the room lazily, which had high bookcases reaching to the ceiling on either side of the desk. These bookcases did not contain books, as is customary for such pieces, but instead were filled with papers of all kinds that appeared to be filed in alphabetical order. Harry noticed a specific piece sticking out that read _Garibaldi Family Tree._ There was a large window behind the desk, which had a bench seat at the bottom of the windowsill. On the windowsill sat a glass case, which enclosed something shiny that Harry couldn't quite see. Signore Garibaldi caught Harry's eye as he was trying to see what the shiny thing was.  
  
        "Brilliant, isn't it?" Asked Signore Garibaldi proudly. "Want to have a closer look?" Harry only nodded.  
  
        When Lucia's father placed the case in front of Harry he gasped before he could control himself. Luckily, Signore Garibaldi took that as a sign that he adored the object sitting innocently in the glass case. It was a sterling silver pistol with a handgrip of black leather padding on the handle. It seemed to be custom made, as it had the word _Garibaldi_ engraved in swirling, looping letters on the very end of the handle, where the leather padding didn't reach. Harry had never seen a gun so close up before, and he found himself wondering why Signore Garibaldi had a muggle weapon.  
  
        "Enough admiration, we have business to attend to." Signore Garibaldi said harshly, snatching away the glass box and replacing it on the windowsill. "Now, Alessio tells me you just graduated school this past spring?"  
  
        "Yes." Replied Harry hesitantly.  
  
        "And which school did you attend?" Signore Garibaldi kept prying.  
  
        "Hogwarts." Said Harry, even more hesitantly. Signore Garibaldi gave a non-interpretable sort of grimace at this.  
  
        "And I understand that your family, the Butarelli family, is very well known. In the magical world?" The grumpy man asked.  
  
        "Er...yes." Replied Harry, assuming it must be true.  
  
        Signore Garibaldi sighed and said, "Well, I have no problem with a friendship between you and my children, but I assure you, if you attempt to pursue a romantic relationship with my Lucia, you will be punished." The man was now growling, and there was a large, throbbing vein clearly visible through the skin of his neck. He was going purple and his eyes bulged. Harry knew this man meant every word he said, and his eyes wandered again to the pistol on the windowsill.  
  
        Harry narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he made fierce eye contact with the man. He felt all of his courage at work as he spoke, "And why is that?" Demanded Harry, feeling offended, although in reality he didn't understand the complexity of the situation the way the real Zachariah would.  
  
        "Let's just say I have more appropriate suitors in mind." Signore Garibaldi replied. "I'm finished with you, feel free to leave." The older man grunted in an angry tone.  
  
        Harry was almost out the door when he turned over his shoulder and said sternly, "Signore, do not be mistaken when I say that if I wish to court Signorina Lucia, there isn't a thing that you can do about it." The older man now looked ready to murder Harry, who stood his ground firmly. He couldn't explain exactly why, but something had made him so angry he couldn't control his tongue. He just had to make one last biting remark.  
  
        "I wouldn't worry though if I were you. I wouldn't want to marry Lucia, I'd worry that she inherited your disagreeable personality traits." Harry said, looking Signore Garibaldi in the eyes for another second before slamming the door behind him, and stomping up to his room.  
  
        Once in his room, Harry grabbed Zachariah's wand and stuffed it in his pocket, deciding that from now on, he should be armed at all times. He may be brave, but he was not an idiot. Harry flopped down on the bed, still fuming, when he heard a knock at the door.  
  
        "Who is it?" Harry snapped angrily.  
  
        "It's only me." He heard Ginny reply timidly.  
  
        "Come in." Harry said, still sounding irritated. Ginny entered the room and sat down on the bed next to Harry.  
  
        "I just wanted to apologize for the way I behaved earlier." Said Ginny sincerely. She had done a lot of thinking, and had come to the conclusion that she could still be a friend to Harry. She'd only have to be very careful not to let it lead to more, she couldn't bare to get him into anymore trouble.  
  
        "Apology accepted." Said Harry calmly. On the inside, however, he was flabbergasted. He had been quite sure she would continue to avoid him more and more before it got better. Harry came to the conclusion that he really didn't understand girls. He vowed to himself never to attempt to figure one out again.  
  
        "Harry, what's wrong?" Ginny asked, having noticed his irritated mood. She lay down on her side, facing Harry, though his back was to her.  
  
        "Nothing." Harry snapped, still flaming mad and not feeling much like a chat.  
  
        "Don't get short with me Harry, you accepted my apology very easily so whatever it is you're in a twist about hasn't got anything to do with me! I was only trying to help!" Ginny scolded. Harry could literally feel the future onset of a Weasley temper in the room and decided to avoid it. He rolled over onto his other side to face her, and told her everything Signore Garibaldi had said. He left out only the part about the gun.  
  
        "That awful git!" Exclaimed Ginny.  
  
        "Well, I for one certainly understand why Lucia and Zachariah are keeping their engagement a secret." Said Harry.  
  
        "As do I! I can't believe Lucia still lives here, I would have run off by now!" Ginny was now shouting.  
  
        "There's no need to shout, besides we don't want to be overheard." Harry hissed.  
  
        "Right, I just got a bit carried away." Said Ginny, blushing scarlet.  
  
        "Besides, I have something else to tell you." Said Harry gravely. "I think I know what that loud sound was at the end of the dream." Ginny's jaw dropped in shock. She was unable to find words, yet made a hand gesture intended to egg him on.  
  
        "Well, Signore Garibaldi has a gun in his study. I think he came up behind Zachariah to shoot, and Lucia saw him coming. That's why she looked so horrified at the end." Harry finished.  
  
        "Oh my god, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, "Signore Garibaldi is going to kill you! Father told us all about muggle weapons like that, they're very dangerous!"  
  
        "I know, I know. But I won't get killed, not if there's anything I can do about it." Said Harry determinedly.  
  
        "Harry, I'm not going to lie to you, I'm scared." Ginny began to sob a bit, unable to hold it back. She still didn't let it all out though.  
  
        Harry was taken a back; he hadn't seen Ginny cry since, well, the Chamber of Secrets. He rubbed his hand up and down her arm to try and comfort her a bit.  
  
        Once Ginny had calmed down he said teasingly, "I knew you'd cry again someday."  
  
        "Well, I've been sent back in time over a hundred years and ripped from my life and family, I think I'm entitled." She said hotly. Harry chuckled.  
  
        "Can I use that excuse too? I feel like such a pansy lately. The subject of Sirius just keeps coming up in my mind and then when I thought I'd never see Ron or Hermione or anyone else again on top of that, I couldn't take it."  
  
        "Harry, don't be silly, you're the bravest person I know."  
  
        "Thanks, but I still don't like myself lately, no more crying. When we get back to our own time, I'm going to find Bellatrix and give her what she deserves!" Harry stated fiercely.  
  
        "You mean if we get back." Said Ginny, emphasizing the word if. She began to tear up again, and before Harry could do anything, she had grabbed and pulled him into a tight hug.  
  
        "We'll get back, I promise." Replied Harry.  
  
        "Then I have no reason not to believe that we will." Said Ginny, toughening up again and feeling more like her usual self. They lie there in silence for a few moments before Ginny spoke again, "Harry? What are we going to do about Signore Garibaldi?"  
  
        "Well for starters I'm going to be sure I'm armed at all times." Responded Harry.  
  
        "How are you going to do that? Our wands got left in the cave!" Ginny inquired.  
  
        "This." Said Harry, reaching into his pocket and pulling out Zachariah's wand. Ginny snatched it from his hand and examined it. She noticed Zachariah's name on it immediately.  
  
        "Zachariah's wand?" She asked quizzically.  
  
        "Yes, but you know what's even weirder?" Harry questioned.  
  
        "What?" Ginny asked, taking his bait.  
  
        "Well, it's the same wood, length, and core as my wand. And, when I use it, it feels just like my own. If it weren't for the engraving I'd never know the difference." Harry explained.  
  
        "Wow!" Ginny exclaimed incredulously. "You have to admit, the line between us and Lucia and Zachariah keeps getting thinner and thinner. Sooner or later we won't know the difference."  
  
        "Sure we will, Lucia's only got one brother...and she has sisters!" Harry joked.  
  
        "You know what I mean though, Harry, this is getting kind of scary, the similarities I mean." Said Ginny seriously.  
  
        "I know." Responded Harry.  
  
        "Harry, with all the similarities, did you ever wonder if there's a sort of version of Voldemort in this time period, one that Zachariah's meant to defeat?" Asked Ginny cautiously. Harry's face contorted into a look of shock.  
  
        "You know, Gin, I hadn't thought about that." Said Harry. Just then, there was a knock at the door.  
  
        "Who is it?" Asked Harry.  
  
        "Alessio. Can I come in?"  
  
        "Sure." Said Harry. The door cracked opened and Alessio's head poked in.  
  
        "Not interrupting anything, am I?" He asked, winking at Ginny.  
  
        "No." Harry and Ginny said in unison.  
  
        "I just thought you might want to get to dinner a bit early, the twins are planning to put something in your food if they get there before you." Alessio said. "As much as I hate to ruin their pranks, you guys aren't used to their sort."  
  
        "Actually, my twin brothers are just like that." Ginny giggled.  
  
        "But thanks for the heads up!" Said Harry while grinning at Alessio. "I guess now that I know about it, I'd better get down there before they can do anything."  
  
        Harry, Ginny, and Alessio were the first ones to arrive in the dining room. They took their seats on one side, with Harry in between Ginny and Alessio. Almost immediately, Theresa and Rosalia came bursting in, with matching mischievous grins. Their faces fell, however, when they saw that Harry was already there. They took their seats across the table, and immediately began whispering about something. All the others could hear was some mention of bed sheets. The doors to the double dining hall flew open once again and Signore Garibaldi entered the room.  
  
        Signore Garibaldi took one look at Harry and shouted angrily, "You! Get out of here, you are not permitted at meals in this house any longer!" The man was turning purple, and the vein was throbbing in his neck once again.  
  
        Harry was reminded of that afternoon, and a pistol flashed in his head as he returned the icy glare Signore Garibaldi was giving him. Harry mustered up the steadiest glare he could, and he stood up and marched out of the room assertively, slamming the doors behind him.  
  
AN: Hey everyone I'm back! I wish I could say camp was great, but in fact, I was there for two days before getting extremely sick. Now I am rather mad about that, but I'm feeling better now. Annika (annikask8s2005) and I are in the midst of making a Harry Potter website and it is very nearly up and running. I'll post a link in an author's note at the end of a chapter once it's finished. Anyway, thanks a lof for reading. Please review, really it makes an author's day, I'm begging you! 


	11. Muggles

**IMPORTANT:** Apparently, last time I posted a chapter I did it by replacing an author's note chapter and ffn didn't like that too much, and when people clicked on it they got the author's note, and many couldn't manage to see chapter 10. Well, it's up and running now, so before you read this, make sure you've read chapter 10-The Pistol. Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: You know the drill!  
  
Chapter 11  
  
        Harry stormed angrily up to his room and threw himself onto the bed. He began punching at the pillows in rage, and even threw a few across the room. After having let out the majority of his anger, Harry got fed up with attacking his bedding, and decided there was nothing for him to do but go to sleep. He pulled Zachariah's wand out of his pocket and summoned the pillows that had been strewn about back to him. He lay down, listening to his stomach growl until he fell asleep.  
  
        An hour later, Harry awoke to a knock at the door. The knock was quickly followed by an odd thud coming from his closet, which he chose not to investigate as someone was continuously pounding on the door. He groaned in response, loudly enough so that the person outside the door would be able to hear him.  
  
        "I'll take that as a come in." Ginny said sarcastically as she opened the door.  
  
        Harry looked up from his spot on the bed and saw Ginny standing in the doorway, her right hand still resting on the doorknob, and a steaming plate of manicotti in her left.  
  
        "I brought you some food." She said, walking over to Harry and setting the plate on the bedside table.  
  
        "Thanks." He mumbled, taking the plate and stuffing his face, rivaling the eating habits of Ron.  
  
        "Signore Garibaldi is being just horrible to you!" Ginny exclaimed, her face reddening in anger.  
  
        "Well, I did make a rather callous remark about his daughter." Said Harry, smiling to himself, recalling how clever he had felt for coming up with the particular insult he had used.  
  
        "Even so—"Ginny began, but Harry cut her off.  
  
        "He's no worse than the Dursleys. Believe me I'll be fine. At least around here I've got someone who can sneak me a meal occasionally." Harry joked.  
  
        Ginny noticed Zachariah's wand lying haphazardly on the floor where Harry had dropped it earlier. She bent over and picked it up, then sat down on the bed next to Harry.  
  
        "Do you mind if I give this a wave?" Asked Ginny. "I miss doing magic."  
  
        "Go ahead." Said Harry with his mouth full.  
  
        "Accio quill!" Ginny cried, pointing the wand at the desk across the room, focusing on the quill that lay across it. Nothing happened.  
  
        "That's odd." Said Harry looking concerned.  
  
        "Well, I'm a bit rusty let's try something simpler, wingardium leviosa!" Said Ginny, still pointing at the quill.  
  
        "Very odd." Harry added.  
  
        "Well, wait just one more, Lumos!" Ginny tried. The wand tip did not light, not even a flicker.  
  
        "Alright, I guess this wand really isn't right for you." Said Harry incredulously.  
  
        "Probably, but I should still be able to do magic, it would just be more unpredictable if the wand was wrong." Said Ginny, "Right?"  
  
        "That's what I thought, but you never know." Said Harry, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
        "Wait, let me try something." Ginny said reaching down the neckline of her dress and pulling out the time turner. "This stayed with me when we landed here." She explained. She twisted the time turner just once, to take her back to when Harry was in his room alone while she was at dinner. She felt the room spinning around her, everything that had happened in the last hour was happening in reverse order.  
  
        When the spinning stopped, Ginny found herself sitting on the bed next to a sleeping Harry. It had worked. She then realized that her past self would be coming in at any moment with Harry's dinner. She quickly took cover in the closet, watching what happened in the room through the crack where the door was attached to the frame. Ginny leaned against the back wall of the closet, waiting for something to happen, and began to drift off.  
  
        Ginny awoke with a start at the knock on Harry's bedroom door, hitting her head against a low shelf with a resounding smack. The knocking at the door continued, and Ginny pushed her face against the crack in the door to watch. She saw herself enter with a plate of manicotti for Harry, and watched him gulp it down for the second time that day. She sat listening to the same conversation she'd had with Harry an hour earlier, watching intently when her past self picked up the wand and attempted to do a few simple spells. Absolutely nothing happened. There was not even the slightest indication that the girl she was watching was a witch at all.  
        After she had seen herself twist the time turner and disappear, Ginny came out of the closet.  
  
        Harry jumped a bit, startled when he saw Ginny come out of the closet rubbing her head.  
  
        "I hit my head in there." She grimaced.  
  
        "So, you went back in time and hid in the closet until your past self left?" Harry asked bewildered as to what she was thinking of. "Then that must have been the noise I heard in the closet earlier." Said Harry with a laugh.  
  
        "Probably. I guess I wasn't stealthy enough." She joked.  
  
        "I guess not, but why did you need to test the time turner?" Harry wondered out loud.  
  
        "Do you remember when we explained the story to Alessio, and he didn't know what a time turner was?" Ginny asked.  
  
        "Yes, go on."  
  
        "Well, we assumed the time turner hadn't been invented yet, but later I remembered Hermione telling me about the invention of the time turner, and I'm almost positive it happened before the time we're in now. I also thought that if the time turner hadn't been invented yet, it would have disappeared when we came back this far, but I still had it. I just wanted to make sure it was fully functioning so there would be no doubt in my mind." Ginny explained.  
  
        "Ginny, I'm not sure I'm getting the point of this." Said Harry irritably.  
  
        "Time turners exist in this time, so why didn't Alessio know about them?" Ginny asked rhetorically. Harry answered her anyway.  
  
        "I don't know."  
  
        "He's a muggle. Along with the rest of the Garibaldi family, including Lucia." Ginny stated.  
  
        "So that's why the wand doesn't work for you, Lucia's a muggle!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
        "Exactly!" Ginny exclaimed.  
  
        "That must be why Signore Garibaldi doesn't want Zachariah and Lucia to be together, he must hate wizards and magic!" Said Harry, fully understanding now. "I wonder if he's an ancestor of the Dursleys?" Harry laughed. Ginny giggled at this as well.  
  
        "I guess we'll never know." She replied. Neither of them could think of anything more to say, and it was getting kind of late.  
  
        "Well, we should get to bed." Harry finally said.  
  
        "Right I'll just get going then." Said Ginny awkwardly. "Goodnight, Harry." She said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and leaving quickly.  
  
        Harry put his hand to his cheek where she had kissed him, staring at the doorway where she had just exited as though she were still standing there. Even though she was long gone he could still feel his face tingle where she'd touched him, it felt almost as though his face had fallen asleep, but nicer than that. Harry couldn't have described it if he'd tried. He lay down on the left side of the bed, facing the empty space on the other side. As he closed his eyes, Harry felt the tingling feeling spread down to his neck and shoulders. He smiled to himself, the most genuine smile he'd made in weeks as he thought about Ginny.  
  
        Ginny hurried down the hall. Walking briskly, but not breaking out into a run. She was internally beating herself up for kissing Harry.  
  
        _"I'm letting myself fall for him again, this isn't good. I can't continue to do this. Remember, Ginny, if you fall in love with Harry, you'll only hurt him. Do you really want that to happen?"_ She continued on attacking herself mentally, even when she entered her room, changed into a satin periwinkle nightgown, and got into bed. She lay down on the right side of the bed, facing the vacant spot next to her. She continued attempting to attack herself, but somehow her train of thought changed unexpectedly.  
  
       _ "He really is lovely though. So sweet and loving, and I always feel safe with him, I know he'd protect me. Even if being with him put me in danger, I know he'd save me if Tom ever got to me again."_  
  
        "Bloody hell!" She said aloud. "Okay, so I'm in love with him again, that doesn't mean I have to act on it." Ginny couldn't sleep now. She got up and put on a white dressing gown, instinctively reaching for the door to leave. She stopped when she realized she had no place to go. Normally, when she wanted to stop thinking about something she'd distract herself by talking to Ron, Hermione, or Harry. Well, Ron and Hermione weren't here, and she couldn't very well talk to Harry when he was the thing she was trying to forget about. She sighed, realizing the only thing she could do was to wander the corridors.  
  
        Harry had been lying awake all night it seemed. He couldn't get Ginny off his mind, and he'd never get to sleep in that state. He had to go and see her. To go and talk, talk about something other than their situation. He wanted to have a friendly conversation about Ron and Hermione or how awful Snape was. The way they used to before they got into this mess. He got out of bed and walked out into the corridor, turning towards Ginny's room. He was about halfway there when he ran into something soft and warm.  
  
        "Oof!" It grunted. He realized it was a person. He had forgotten to put his glasses back on when he got up.  
  
        "Harry?" He heard Ginny's voice ask.  
  
        "Yeah, it's me, Gin. I forgot my glasses, I can't see anything." He groaned.  
  
        "Well, go back to your room and get them then!" Ginny laughed, pointing him in the right direction. She decided to head back to her room, wandering about wouldn't help her sleep if she kept running into Harry.  
  
        Harry made his way back to his room and plucked his glasses off the bedside table. He put them on quickly, and sprinted back towards Ginny's room, hoping to find her in the hallway again. When he didn't see her anywhere, he knocked on her door.  
  
        "What?" She asked rather irritably, she was trying to sleep after all.  
  
        "I can't sleep I just want to chat for a while." Harry's voice came through the door.  
  
        "Come in then." She said trying to hide her reluctance. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.  
  
        Harry entered the room and lay down on the empty spot on the bed to Ginny's left. He turned on his side to face her, but she was lying on her back.  
  
        "So..." Harry started. Ginny rolled over to face him, and quickly burst out laughing.  
  
        "What's so funny?" Harry asked defensively.  
  
        "Your pajamas!" Ginny exclaimed, clutching her side and pointing at Harry's rather ostentatious shiny, gold pajamas.  
  
        "Look, I can't help what type of clothes Zachariah wears." Harry said, trying to act upset. He decided flattery might help coax her into changing the subject.  
        "That color looks really good on you." He said sincerely.  
  
        "Periwinkle? Really? I think it's dreadful." Ginny said, looking at him as though he were frightfully ill.  
  
        "No, not the nightgown, that pale gold color of the bedspread." Said Harry.  
  
        "Oh, well, thank you." Said Ginny. There was an awkward silence before Ginny spoke again.  
  
        "So, what did you want to talk about, Harry?" Ginny asked.  
  
        "Oh anything about normal life, I'd like to avoid the subject of Lucia, Zachariah, and our whole current situation if at all possible."  
  
        "Alright then, why don't you tell me about some of the trouble you and Ron and Hermione got into before we were good friends."  
  
        "Well, let's see did you hear about the time we took the Polyjuice Potion—"Harry started.  
  
        "To turn into Crabbe and Goyle, yes! But, when Hermione told me the story, she didn't tell me why she didn't go with you and Ron. I tried to ask Ron, but he said Hermione would kill him if he told me." Ginny said getting excited to finally find out what had happened.  
  
        "Oh, well, Hermione plucked some hairs off of Millicent's robes but they turned out to be cat hairs. She had a furry face and a tail." Said Harry, trying not to laugh too hard at the memory of Hermione's appearance. Ginny, however, about split her side laughing.  
  
        "You've got to have some funny stories I haven't heard having grown up with the twins, haven't you?" Harry asked. Ginny only nodded, still twitching with laughter. "Well, out with it then!" Harry gestured for her to tell him.  
  
        "Well, you know how the stairway to the girls' dormitory at Hogwarts is enchanted so that boys can't get up it?" Harry nodded in response. "Well, Fred and George learned how to charm the staircase at the Burrow so that Percy couldn't get upstairs. That was right after he was made prefect, they had to pull one on him for that, didn't they?"  
  
        "I guess they did." Said Harry through laughter, "That's a classic, that is!"  
  
        Harry and Ginny shared stories for several hours, some funny, some sad, and some plain ridiculous. Soon, they had both tired out and fell fast asleep, lying face to face on the bed.  
  
AN: Well, another chapter done, it took a bit longer than usual as I've been working on the website a lot, which I believe I mentioned last chapter. I hope you liked this one though, thanks for reading and please review! The site is not complete, but a lot of it is up, enough that I'm going to post the link and let you guys see what's up so far and you can tell us what you think of it. Here's the URL: Now, last time I tried to post a URL in an author's note, it wouldn't let me, so if it didn't, look in my profile and you'll find the link there. I saw the movie POA today for the 5th time, but this time was unique, I saw it in IMAX, it was great, god I love that movie! 


	12. The Matchmaker

Disclaimer: You know the drill.  
  
Chapter 12  
  
        Harry woke up the next morning very early as the sun started pouring in the window. He squinted in the sunlight, barely able to open his eyes. His glasses had fallen off during the night, and now lay on the bed between him and Ginny. Their foreheads were inches apart. Harry went to pick up his glasses, when he realized that both of his hands lay tangled in front of him with both of Ginny's hands. Harry decided to just lie still until Ginny woke up. He was very content where he was, with or without his sight.  
  
        Harry was brought to his senses by a knock on the door. Ginny didn't even stir at the sound, but Harry realized he had to hide or risk coming face to face with Signore Garibaldi's pistol. Harry slid his hands out of Ginny's grip, and ran to hide in the closet, forgetting his glasses. The knocking at the door continued and he heard a woman's voice.  
  
        "Lucia! Wake up!" The doorknob turned and the door cracked open. At this, Ginny finally opened her eyes.  
  
        "Oh my gosh, Harry, Lucia's parents are going to kill you!" Ginny hissed remembering that they had fallen asleep together. She looked around bewildered, noticing his glasses and throwing them behind her back as Maria walked into the room.  
  
        "Um...er...morning, mum!" Ginny stuttered.  
  
        "Honestly Lucia, how many times have I told you, call me by my given name." Maria snapped.  
  
        "Right, sorry, Maria." Ginny said still flustered. She continued attempting to scan the room for Harry as covertly as possible.  
  
        "Hurry up and get ready for breakfast, and dress nicely we have a guest." Said Maria sternly.  
  
        "Alright, I'll be down in a minute." Ginny said to Maria's back as she left the room. She listened to the clicking of Maria's shoes down the hallway until the sound disappeared before shouting out.  
  
        "Harry?" Cried Ginny. She began to wonder if he had gotten up and left in the middle of the night. She couldn't believe he would have gone without his glasses though.  
  
        Ginny got out of bed and walked over to the closet. Just as she reached for the doorknob, the closet door sprang open in front of her. Ginny gasped in shock, and then realized it was Harry standing in front of her. He was laughing at her state of shock.  
  
        "Harry, don't ever do that again!" She said giving him a little shove.  
  
        "Don't do what? Hide to get out of being killed?" Harry joked.  
  
        "Oh you know what I mean, you insufferable git!" Ginny said frustratedly, trying to sound genuinely angry, but it was obvious she was only joking.  
  
        "Okay, I can take a hint, I'm going back to my room." Said Harry glumly.  
  
        "I'll bring you some breakfast in about an hour." Said Ginny to his back as he turned on his heel and left.  
  
        Ginny went back to looking through the closet for a suitable outfit. She soon picked an emerald green, floor-length dress, with long sleeves, and a high neckline. She assumed this guest that Maria spoke of was a man Lucia's parents wished her to marry. Ginny decided to cover herself up as much as possible, not wanting to be put on display.  
  
        Upon entering the dining room, Ginny noticed immediately who the guest was, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was not a suitor. Instead, Ginny was seated across from a middle-aged blonde woman with a strict demeanor that reminded her of professor McGonagall.  
  
        "Lucia, this is Signora Josefina Malone." Said Maria, beaming at Ginny. "Signora Malone, this is my daughter, Lucia."  
  
        "Oh, please, call me Josefina, we may be around each other for quite some time. Well, she is quite a beauty. With a little work, I shall have no trouble finding her a proper husband." The woman said rather coldly considering that she was, if one paid attention, delivering a compliment. Ginny couldn't stop the look of shock that took over her face.  
  
        "Sorry, what?" She asked incredulously.  
  
        "Josefina is the most distinguished matchmaker in the city." Maria said still smiling broadly at Ginny. "You do want to find a husband, don't you?" Maria's expression changed and Ginny turned to her right where Alessio was sitting and exchanged a 'what do I do?' look with him.  
  
        Alessio gave her a nod and turned his eyes in the direction of Maria. Ginny took this as, 'just answer the way she wants you to.'  
  
        "Yes, of course I do." Ginny lied through her teeth, hoping Maria wouldn't see through her.  
  
        The meal went on with animated conversation between Maria and Josefina. Soon everyone had left, leaving Ginny and Alessio alone in the dining room.  
  
        "What am I going to do?" Ginny asked desperately, throwing some food onto a clean plate to take up to Harry.  
  
        "Just play along so my mum doesn't suspect anything." Said Alessio.  
  
        "But what if that matchmaker woman finds the 'perfect mate' for me? What do I do then?" Ginny raised her voice irritably.  
  
        "Tell her that you don't think he's right. Even she can't force you to marry, she's just here to find you someone that you'll want to marry." Alessio informed her.  
  
        "I suppose, but what if I go through twenty suitors this woman comes up with, and keep saying no to all of them, what if Maria suspects something?" Ginny hissed.  
  
        "Hopefully it won't come to that. For now just play along, it's the only plan we've got." He said.  
  
        "Alright. I've got to go and take this food up to Harry." Ginny said, indicating the plate in her hand.  
  
        "Oh good, I was wondering if he'd been getting anything to eat, I was thinking of sneaking something up to him myself." Said Alessio, looking relieved.  
  
        "Don't worry, he's well taken care of. Thanks for all your help!" Ginny said gratefully.  
  
        "It's no trouble. Besides, in the end if you're forced to marry, it's really my sister who ends up with the problem." Said Alessio, sounding sad at the mention of Lucia.  
  
        "I'm sure Lucia's alright. She'll be back." Ginny comforted Alessio.  
  
        "Have you and Harry figured out what's going on? Are you sure about that?" Alessio asked excitedly.  
  
        "Well, not exactly—"Ginny started  
  
        "Then how can you be sure?" Alessio snapped.  
  
        "I can't be, but I hope things right themselves just as much as you do, remember I've lost my family as well!" Ginny snapped right back at him.  
  
        "You're right, I'm sorry...er, you better get that food up to Harry." Alessio said, starting out the door.  
  
        "Why don't you come with me?" Ginny asked invitingly. "I'm sure he'd like some company other than me."  
  
        "I'm not so sure about that." Alessio smirked, "But I'll come."  
  
        The pair headed up a winding staircase to the corridor where Harry's bedroom was.  
  
        Ginny handed the plate of food to Alessio, and walked into Harry's room without knocking. Harry lay asleep on the bed. Alessio followed Ginny into the room, setting the plate down on the bedside table.  
  
        "Harry, get up, time for a spot of breakfast." Said Ginny while ruffling Harry's hair, which couldn't actually get any untidier than it already was.  
  
        "I'm sleeping." Harry grunted in response.  
  
        "Not anymore." Ginny snickered. "Besides, I've brought some company."  
  
        "Good morning, Harry." Said Alessio.  
  
        "Morning." Harry grunted again.  
  
        "Oh get up already or I'll eat your breakfast myself!" Ginny exclaimed, pushing Harry gently. He ended up rolling off the bed in his sleepy state. He landed with a resounding thud on the rug.  
  
        "Ouch! Why'd you have to go and do that?" Harry whined.  
  
        "You wouldn't get up! Imagine the world's shock, I can see it on the front page of the Daily Prophet, **Boy-Who-Lived Whines About Falling Out of Bed.**" Ginny joked.  
  
        "You mean being shoved out of bed." Said Harry sarcastically, reaching for his breakfast and beginning to eat.  
  
        "Not the way I'll tell it." Said Ginny.  
  
        Harry was about to retort when Alessio piped in. "What's this business about the Boy-Who-Lived? And what's the Daily Prophet?" Harry gave Ginny a glare, which plainly meant, look what you've done; you'd better fix it.  
  
        "Well, how much exactly do you know about the school Zachariah went to?" Ginny asked.  
  
        "Nothing really." Alessio shrugged.  
  
        "Yes, well we attend the same school in the future, it's a school for magical learning. Zachariah's a wizard and so are we." Ginny explained.  
  
        "The Daily Prophet is the Wizarding World's newspaper." Said Harry quickly, getting the easy part out of the way. He and Ginny went on to explain how Harry had been the only person in history to survive the Avada Kedavra curse. Alessio grew wide-eyed as they continued.  
  
        "So that's why they're hiding the engagement. My parents don't like anything that could be put in the category of funny business, and magic definitely qualifies." Alessio said.  
  
        "Exactly." Ginny stated.  
  
        "Wait, then you can really do magic, like in fairy tales?" Alessio asked in awe.  
  
        "Well, something like that." Said Harry, taking out Zachariah's wand and levitating the desk across the room. Alessio continued to stare in wonder for a while before he came to his senses.  
  
        "So, you've had the weight of an entire world on your shoulders since before you were born then?" Alessio asked clearly astonished.  
  
        "More or less. I'd rather not talk about it though." Said Harry.  
  
        "I can understand that. So being wizards, you must know more about the current situation than I do? Can we get my sister back?" Alessio asked.  
  
        "I'm afraid we don't know anymore than you do." Ginny said reluctantly. "We may know more about time travel, but I'm pretty sure no wizard has ever gone back in time this far before."  
  
        "That's right, time turners are meant to go back a few hours at most." Harry added.  
  
        Before Alessio could ask any more questions, there was a knock at the door. The heads of two identical nineteen year-old girls popped in the room.  
  
        "Lucia, mum's looking for you, she'll be furious if she finds you with him." Rosalia said indicating Harry.  
  
        "You two know about us?" Harry asked unable to hide his shock.  
  
        "Of course we do, we're pranksters and spies, we know everything that goes on around here." Theresa said proudly.  
  
        "You'd better hurry up and get out of here though!" Rosalia added.  
  
        "Alright thanks for warning me." Said Ginny following them down the corridor.  
  
        There was a long silence while Ginny followed the twins until she asked them something that had been bothering her.  
  
        "What exactly do you know about us?" Ginny asked.  
  
        "That you're secretly engaged to Zachariah and you've been hiding it from mum and dad." Said Theresa, winking at Ginny.  
  
        "It's quite romantic really, though I don't know why you didn't tell us." Rosalia said sounding slightly offended.  
  
        "Sorry, we just didn't think about it much." Said Ginny giving the most vague answer she could come up with.  
  
        Before she knew it, Ginny had followed the twins into a small study, matching the purple color scheme of the library, where Maria sat with the matchmaker, Josefina.  
  
        "Lucia, you will have your first meeting with Josefina right now. I don't want to hear any bad reports about your behavior." Maria said sharply, leaving the room to give the matchmaker and her client some peace.  
  
        "Alright Lucia?" Josefina asked, seeming less stern every minute.  
  
        "Alright." Ginny replied. "Sorry, but I've never been to a matchmaker before. I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to do."  
  
        "Well, this first meeting is about me getting to know you. If I don't know you, I can't find you a husband." Josefina said matter-of- factly. This seemed reasonable to Ginny, though she was surprised at the woman's kindness, and couldn't stop her face from showing it.  
  
        "The stern outside is just a cover around the parents, it makes them happy, but I find young girls don't respond to it." Josefina said warmly. "Your mother has said that your family is hosting a ball for the city's noble and wealthy families, I thought I'd take you shopping to get some fabric for your gown." Said Josefina.  
  
        "That sounds lovely." Said Ginny, thinking that this wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
        Josefina and Ginny took a horse drawn carriage into a busy street full of shops. This street reminded Ginny of Diagon Alley with its hustle and bustle. There were no magic shops to be found on this road. There were butchers, bakers, and bookshops. Fabric stores and groceries, carpenters' shops and blacksmiths. All sorts of stores Ginny had never seen before having been raised in the magic world. She was in awe.  
        "Welcome to the Roman Market." Josefina said having noticed Ginny's wide eyes.  
  
        Josefina led Ginny into a store called _Fine Fabrics of the World._ As they browsed through racks of various fabrics, Josefina asked Ginny various questions about her hobbies, to which she'd been forced to make up answers. Josefina soon moved on to asking questions about Ginny's taste in men. Without even realizing she was doing it, Ginny answered every question as though she were attempting to describe Harry perfectly, down to the smallest detail. She even outright mentioned that she wanted to be married to her best friend. Ginny soon realized that she had been talking about Harry, whether she'd mentioned his name or not, she knew that he was the one she was talking about when she spoke of her perfect match. For the first time since she was eleven years old, Ginny opened up about everything she loved about Harry, and it felt good despite the fact that the one she was speaking to didn't know she had someone specific in mind.  
  
        Josefina was already holding some tulle for the skirt of the gown, as well as some cream colored silk for the underneath layer. Now all they needed was the perfect fabric for the top layer of the dress. Ginny stopped dead in her tracks as she spotted a shimmering, pale, champagne gold brocade. She recalled Harry saying that the color of her bedding looked good on her and smiled. This fabric was almost identical in color. She immediately grabbed it and showed it to Josefina.  
  
        "Oh that's just beautiful, and the color is perfect for you." Josefina exclaimed.  
  
        "I can get it then?" Ginny asked excitedly.  
  
        "Of course, you have excellent taste, Lucia." Josefina complimented.  
  
        "Thank you." Ginny replied as they walked forward to pay for their fabrics.  
  
        "Now, we'll just take these to your manor and I'll fit you for the gown." Josefina said smiling at Ginny.  
  
        "You're making my dress, shouldn't a seamstress do that?" Ginny asked.  
  
        "I am an expert seamstress, as well as a designer. It's part of being a matchmaker, I find the perfect clothes for my clients."  
  
        "Oh." Ginny said simply as she got into the carriage that was waiting for them outside the shop. She sat back, having decided for now that having a matchmaker really wasn't going to be bad at all.  
  
AN: This chapter took me longer than usual, I kept not liking it and having to redo it. Originally there was this whole plot twist with Ginny's great grandfather showing up and is somehow related to Lucia's mom and she recognizes him from pictures she's seen. Then I realized that it was stupid. I had a few other things that weren't going anywhere, and I went back to what I'd been planning to have happen since I started the story, which turned out to be the best solution. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out after all the rewrites.   
  
Don't forget to check out my (when I say my I mean done in collaboration with my friend Annika) new not-quite-finished-but-still-cool Harry Potter website called Witches and Wizards and Weasleys...Oh my! The link is in my profile.   
  
Thanks so much for reading, please make my day and review, even if all you say is two words, it makes my day! 


	13. The Book

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Chapter 13

Ginny and Josefina had returned to Garibaldi manor immediately. Josefina had gone home for the night, and Ginny had gone to pay a visit to Harry. She walked down the corridor leading to his room and entered. She had been making a habit of not knocking. When Ginny entered the room, she saw Harry and Alessio sitting on the bed, deep in conversation.

"What are you two on about?" Ginny asked.

"I'm just explaining the finer points of Quidditch to Alessio." Said Harry innocently.

"It sounds fantastic!" Alessio interjected.

"It's great fun!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Girls are allowed to play too? That sounds great, girls can't play sports around here." Said Alessio.

"That's why I'm glad I was born a hundred years from now." Ginny said sarcastically.

"Okay, so, what did you do today?" Harry asked Ginny trying to change the subject."

"We went shopping for some fabric to make my gown for the ball, it's going to be just lovely." Ginny said animatedly.

"There's a ball?" Harry's face contorted into a confused expression.

"Yes, my parents host a ball every year for the wealthy families of Rome." Said Alessio. "They'll let me bring a friend, you can come if you want."

"Are you sure your father won't get mad?" Harry asked.

"He will, but he won't do anything about it in front of all the noble guests." Alessio shrugged.

"I'd love to come." Harry smirked simply adoring the idea of making Signore Garibaldi angry in a situation where he couldn't bring out the pistol.

"Alessio, can I ask you something?" Ginny questioned, looking uneasy.

"I suppose." Alessio responded.

"Do you know what Zachariah and Lucia were planning to do with their lives? I mean, they have to get married without your family knowing, and if they ever want to have children, that would be difficult if Lucia's family doesn't know they're married." Ginny had been wondering bout this for a while now, but just hadn't managed to ask.

"Zachariah had a job, I assume it was a job in your world because he refused to tell me anything about it. They were planning to save up, and run away from here, where my parents wouldn't find them." Said Alessio.

"They probably planned to live in the Wizarding World." Harry muttered.

"I guess so." Alessio shrugged. "All I know is, none of us would get to see them again, not even those of us that support them." He said bitterly.

There was a quick knock on the door, and then the knob turned and the door opened before anyone could answer. Ginny was expecting the worst, but sighed with relief when she saw Josefina.

"Oh, Lucia, I've been looking for you everywhere." Said Josefina. "Oh, and Alessio as well, good day to you."

"Good day." Alessio nodded.

Josefina's eyes rested on Harry. "And who might you be?" She asked.

"Zachariah Butarelli." Said Harry, standing up and holding out his hand. She took his hand and shook it gently.

"I am Josefina Malone, Lucia's matchmaker." A stunned look took over Harry's face and he glared at Ginny.

"Did you need something?" Ginny asked Josefina before Harry could say anything stupid.

"I got home and noticed that I didn't have the proper thread or ribbon for the fabric you've chosen. I'll have to go back to the market tomorrow. I was wondering if you'd like to come with me, we could visit the jewelry shop and find something to go with your gown." Josefina said, hoping to coax Ginny into coming.

"That sounds lovely, but you didn't have to come all the way back here tonight, you could have asked me when you came tomorrow morning." Ginny stated.

"Well, your mother invited me back for dinner tonight." Said Josefina. "I'll see you all in a bit then. It was nice to meet you, Signore Butarelli."

"Nice to meet you too." Harry muttered, still glaring at Ginny.

As soon as Josefina had left the room, Harry released his tongue.

"You have a matchmaker?" He asked sounding very hurt.

"Well, Lucia's mum hired one for her, remember Lucia is supposed to be married by her age, and Maria doesn't know about her and Zachariah." Ginny reminded him.

"This is just getting so insane." Said Harry, sinking down onto his bed.

They were all silent for a few moments before Alessio spoke.

"Look, Ginny, we better head to dinner. We'll bring you some food later, Harry." Said Alessio, pushing Ginny lightly on the shoulder in the direction of the door. Harry just grunted in response.

Dinner had been as delightful as it could possibly be with Signore Garibaldi grunting the whole time. Josefina was back to her stern behavior in front of Maria, and Ginny and Alessio had laughed silently as the twins loosened the top on the peppershaker. The funniest part had been when Alessio used the peppershaker, only minutes later. He had forgotten the twins' prank, and ended up pouring pepper all over his dinner.

The twins were sent to their rooms for "unladylike conduct," as Maria put it. The meal soon came to an end, and Ginny took some Chicken Parmesan upstairs for Harry.

Late that night, as Ginny lay awake in her bed, she realized this was one of the few nights in the last month she had spent without Harry. She found it hard to sleep alone now. Ginny recalled the first night she spent with Harry in the common room back at Hogwarts. She had been so frightened by a nightmare, and Harry had made her feel safe. She eventually drifted off to sleep, only after hours of thinking how lonely it was that night. Harry had eventually dozed off to the very same thoughts.

The following day, Ginny and Josefina had departed very early for the market. After quickly picking up the sewing supplies that Josefina required, the pair stopped into the jewelry store.

Ginny had rested her hands on the counter, peering at some sapphire earrings, when the woman working in the shop noticed the ring on her hand.

"What a gorgeous ring that is, your fiancé has impeccable taste!" The woman gasped, grabbing Ginny's left hand and pulling it toward her face to get a closer look.

Josefina had overheard the commotion and came over to look at the ring. Upon getting a good look at it, the matchmaker took Ginny by the arm and pulled her into a private corner of the shop.

"Lucia, is that an engagement ring?" Josefina asked incredulously.

"Well..." Ginny began trying to think up a good lie. Her mind had gone completely blank and all she could get out was, "Yes."

"Why did your mother hire me then, you clearly don't require my services." Josefina questioned.

"She doesn't know." Ginny muttered, hanging her head.

"Oh." Said Josefina a look of understanding started in her turquoise eyes and spread throughout her face.

"My family wouldn't approve of this man." Said Ginny sadly.

"Is it that boy I met last night, Zachariah?" Josefina asked. Ginny nodded in response.

"I thought you might have had someone specific in mind when you were telling me what you'd like in a man. You mentioned some features that were so unusual and went into even the smallest details. It was as if you already knew the one person who was perfect for you." Said Josefina wisely.

"Really? What did I say?" Ginny wondered, unable to remember as she had really let her mouth run wild the day before.

"Well, you mentioned a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. That was the one that struck me as most unusual." Josefina stated. Ginny laughed.

"Yes, that's Zachariah alright." She said, though she was thinking Harry.

"Here's what we'll do." Josefina started. "We'll continue to spend time together every day, your mother will never know we're not doing business. At the ball I'll mingle with all the young men to make it look like I'm finding you a match. If you agree to dance with a few different men, I'm sure your mother will never be the wiser." Josefina was speaking so animatedly that a few blonde curls were falling from her tight bun.

"I can agree to that." Said Ginny smiling. She was lucky to have such an understanding matchmaker.

"I assume you have a plan for what you will do when you actually get married." Josefina inquired.

"He has a job, by the time we marry, we'll have enough money to move far away from my family." Ginny said, regurgitating what Alessio had told her the previous night.

"Well then it's settled." Said Josefina beaming.

"May I ask why you're so inclined to help me disobey my parents?" Ginny asked.

"I'm in the business of making love matches. I know a good relationship when I see one, and I can tell that you truly love this man." Said Josefina truthfully.

"Thank you." Ginny blushed.

"Don't mention it." Said Josefina. "Now, let's get back to your manor."

The moment Josefina dropped Ginny off she sprinted up to Harry's room.

"Harry! There may be hope for Zachariah and Lucia yet!" Ginny exclaimed upon bursting into the room.

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"Josefina, the matchmaker, she's on our side." Ginny said excitedly. Ginny suddenly noticed all the stuff surrounding Harry on the bed.

"What's all this?" She asked, picking up a Hogwarts prefect badge.

"It's Zachariah's stuff." Said Harry proudly.

Ginny began rifling through old spell books and robes. They found a head boy badge, as well as the prefect badge they'd already looked at. Harry picked up a blue scarf, and a black Hogwarts robe with a Ravenclaw insignia on the chest.

"Looks like he was in Ravenclaw." Harry observed.

"It looks like he's a Percy clone, head boy, prefect, just look at these NEWT scores!" Ginny gasped picking up a piece of parchment containing Zachariah's NEWT results. Ginny set the parchment aside and picked up a small, leather bound book. It read _Zachariah Butarelli_ in silver letters on the spine.

"This must be his diary." Said Ginny, trying to pry it open, but unable to do so.

"There must be some kind of protection charm in place. We can look at it more carefully later." Said Harry, tossing the diary aside.

After further digging through Zachariah's stuff, Harry pulled out a dusty old book. A book that he was sure had never been a Hogwarts textbook.

"Ah ha!" Harry cried triumphantly.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"Take a look at this!" He said, thrusting the book at her.

"**A Wizard's Guide to Time Travel**." Ginny read aloud.

"Exactly, I'll bet we can find anything we need to know in there!" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry I could just kiss you!" Ginny giggled, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

Just at the moment Ginny went to kiss him, Harry turned to face her, and Ginny's lips hit the corner of Harry's mouth. They both pulled back blushing profusely.

Ginny found herself looking deep into Harry's emerald eyes. She was lost in him. Her common sense was gone; she couldn't rationalize her way out of doing exactly what she wanted. Not this time, anyway.

Ginny grabbed Harry's face with both hands and pulled him down until their lips met.

Harry's mind shut down as Ginny pressed her lips to his. His hands gripped her waist, instinctively, yet clumsily. He felt his lips go numb, yet at the same time they'd never felt so sensitive. His blood boiled as he felt a kind of magic he'd never experienced pulsing through his veins, yet at the same time his extremities froze. He couldn't move, and he couldn't think. Harry's mind was exploding with emotion, and all he could sense was Ginny, in this exact moment. Harry felt as if these feelings had been running through him for hours, yet the kiss had ended all too soon.

Ginny had pulled back after what had actually been less than two seconds. The kiss had been brief, yet perfect, and that short time had been enough for Harry to soak up all the feeling of it.

Harry and Ginny stared at each other for a moment. Ginny realized what she had done; she had broken her promise to herself. She had let herself be taken over by her feelings for Harry, and that could only lead to pain for him.

Ginny had felt all the same sensations as Harry. There was no denying it. Even minutes afterwards, as they sat staring at each other, Ginny still felt butterflies in her stomach, her head was achy and she couldn't quite think straight. She felt as though she had departed from her body and watched herself kiss Harry, yet at the same time had managed to feel all of the emotion. Ginny had to get out of there before she lost her self-control entirely.

She jumped up off the bed and out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She felt her eyes watering, but fought back the tears. She ran up several flights of stairs, she didn't know how many. She kept running until she had reached the top. She ran through glass, double doors and found herself on a wooden balcony. She collapsed against the railing and hugged her legs to her chest, crying into her knees. The tears were flowing freely now.

"_Great, just great."_ Ginny thought. _"I haven't cried since the chamber, but now I've cried twice in two weeks. Twice over bloody Harry Potter."_

Ginny looked up into the night sky through teary eyes. She looked up at the billions of stars, and came to the conclusion that she had never seen stars shining so brightly in her entire life.

AN: This chapter would have been up a couple days ago, but ffn kept having a server error when I tried to post, so don't blame me for the wait. Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, and please continue to review! Even short reviews that are only two words long are much appreciated! Please, if anyone has not checked out my new website yet, please do so, the link is in my profile. Thanks!

I do have one thing to say about reviews though, if you're going to criticize something, don't just say 'that was stupid' it doesn't do me any good, I've done everything the best I can do it, so just you telling me you thought it was stupid, doesn't help me make it any better. If you criticize something, please tell me what specifically you didn't like about it, and how it could be done better. If you can't think of a better way to do it either, then you probably shouldn't be criticizing it. Thanks again to all reviewers!


	14. The Marketplace

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Chapter 14

Harry sat on his bed in stunned silence as he watched Ginny run out the door at top speed.

"She's gone mental!" Harry groaned out loud to no one in particular. This type of behavior was what had baffled him most in his ordeal with Cho Chang during fifth year. Since then he had stayed clear of girls for the most part. He knew in his heart that Ginny was worth the trouble to understand. He had never felt so strongly about a girl before. With that, Harry realized that he was still sitting there doing nothing.

Harry got up quickly and ran out of his room and down the hall looking in every direction, but Ginny was long gone. Harry was never one to give up easily. He noticed the staircases and realized Ginny would try to get as far away as possible. He ran up every flight of stairs without even bothering to check the floors in between.

When he reached the top level, Harry found himself in a circular room with a hole in the center through which he could look down on the rest of the mansion. There were a few doors around the edges of the level Harry was on. All of them were glass doors that led out to balconies. Harry hurriedly scanned the doors, his eyes stopped on one particular set of doors. On the other side of the door he could see something bright red. He would know that hair anywhere.

Slowly and carefully, Harry opened the door and stepped onto the balcony. The chilly early spring wind whipped at his face and sent his hair flying back. Harry turned and looked at Ginny, who hadn't noticed his entrance. She was sitting with her knees curled up to her chest, staring straight into the sky, rubbing her arms to keep warm. Her long red hair blew away from her face, flowing behind her in the wind except for a few tendrils that managed to catch on her cheeks or forehead, casually framing her face. She looked perfect. Perfect, except for one thing that Harry hadn't noticed immediately, her eyes were red and puffy, and her face glistened where the tears had already fallen.

"Mind if I join you?" Harry asked trying to sound as calm and sensitive as possible.

"Actually, I do." Ginny sobbed, not looking away from the sky. Harry sat down next to her, bending his knees up and resting his arms on them. He looked up at the stars as Ginny was doing.

"Beautiful night." Said Harry.

"If you're going to hang around when you're not wanted, I'd appreciate it if you would at least be quiet." Ginny snapped.

"I'm sorry." Harry apologized.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm being ridiculous. I kissed you, and then ran out. You don't even get mad about that, and then I go and treat you like pond scum." Said Ginny, sobbing heavily.

"It's alright. I just came to see why you ran, obviously something's wrong with you, something that I don't understand." Said Harry.

"What else is new?" Ginny gave a sniffle that sounded more like laughter than crying.

"There's no need for sarcasm, now tell me why you ran." Harry demanded. Suddenly a realization came over him.

"I'm not a bad kisser am I?" Harry asked, remembering what Ron had said when he told her about his kiss with Cho.

"Far from it." Ginny smiled, still not peeling her eyes from the stars.

"Then why?" Harry asked.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt. Whenever I'm involved you get into trouble, and I care about you too much to watch anything happen to you." Said Ginny, tearing herself away from the sky and burying her face in her knees.

"Don't accuse me of stealing lines from you when I say that was stupid." Harry chuckled uncomfortably, and stopped immediately when Ginny glared daggers at him.

"And what exactly was so stupid about it, Harry? I almost got you killed by a basilisk, Pettigrew went free, you had to duel with Tom and watch Cedric be killed, and in case that's not enough Sirius got killed, oh and there's one more tiny little thing, we're a century out of our time!" Ginny yelled exasperatedly.

"Gin, how is any of that your fault?" Harry asked bewildered.

"It just is, especially the basilisk, and especially this time." She sobbed.

"Well, your first year, Tom Riddle controlled you, you need to stop blaming yourself for that. Yes, this was your fault, but you only did it to save my neck. And what's so bad about it? We may be able to save Zachariah and Lucia from a terrible fate." Harry pointed out.

"I suppose—"Ginny started.

"And besides," Harry cut her off, "Bad things find me, and have since before you were born, and will continue to whether you're around or not."

"That's true—"Said Ginny.

"And I'd rather have you with me." Harry cut her off again. Ginny stared at him openmouthed before she broke out into a smile. Not just a grin, but rather a smile involving her whole face. Her eyes lit up, her forehead creased with the rising of her eyebrows, and her cheeks seemed to pop. Every single one of her pearly teeth was visible. Harry was ecstatic to see that smile.

"It really is a beautiful night, just look at those stars." Said Ginny.

"Let's have a better look." Said Harry, lying down on his back across the balcony. Ginny lay perpendicular to Harry with her head on the crook between his neck and right shoulder, she stayed flat on her back, looking up. Harry leaned his cheek on her head and played with Ginny's hair absentmindedly as he stared up at the stars. Soon they were both asleep.

Harry awoke to the first rays of sunlight burning his eyes. He was still flat on his back, his face looking up into the sky. He screwed his eyes shut as tightly as he could, trying to block out the sunlight. He could feel Ginny's warm breath on his neck, and the silky texture of her hair on his cheek. He took in a deep breath and inhaled the familiar sent of her hair. She smelled like the kitchen at Christmastime. That perfect combination of spices in the air when someone is making hot cider. That scent suited her perfectly, it was a little spicy, and a little sweet, and entirely irresistible. Harry put his arms around her and hugged her tightly. This small movement woke Ginny up.

Ginny took a deep breath in without opening her eyes. She could feel the bright sunlight beating against her eyelids, and she knew she and Harry had fallen asleep on the balcony.

As she breathed in, Ginny was filled with the cool wintergreen mint and crisp lemon scent that was uniquely Harry. She had always wondered where it came from, as she knew for a fact that Harry didn't wear cologne. It must just be his soap. Ginny kept thinking about how wonderful it was to be with Harry, and how soft and warm his sweater was to lie on. She was snapped out of her thoughts by his voice.

"Ginny, you have to get back to your room before Lucia's mum comes to wake you up." Said Harry. Ginny just groaned.

"I don't want to get up, let's just let them kill us." Ginny joked.

"If you insist." Harry started to laugh.

"Alright, I'll get up. Besides, when you laugh like that you move too much, I wasn't comfortable anymore." Ginny huffed, trying to act extremely irritated. The truth was, however, that nothing could irritate her today. She felt as if she were flying among the clouds and would never come down.

"I'll make a note of that." Said Harry to a distracted Ginny. She was hopelessly lost in her own thoughts. That is until Harry stood up and held out his hand to her.

"Come on, we really have to get back...unless you were serious about getting killed." Said Harry. Ginny laughed and took his hand. Together they walked down the many flights of stairs, which neither of them had bothered to keep track of. Soon they were in the familiar corridor where their bedrooms were located. Harry and Ginny stopped in front of Ginny's door.

"Thanks, Harry. I'll see you after breakfast." Said Ginny standing on tiptoe and resting her hands briefly on Harry's shoulders to give him a peck on the cheek.

"Bye Gin." Harry mumbled as he turned and headed off to his room.

Ginny walked into her room and got into bed. She shut her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She was unsure of where things stood between her and Harry, but she knew she didn't have to avoid him anymore. She lay there peacefully, for once in her life believing that things would sort themselves out on their own.

Ginny was just getting comfortable when the usual knock came at the door. Maria entered the room.

"Get up and come down to breakfast." Said Maria sounding more irritated that usual.

"I'm up." She mumbled sleepily.

"Well hurry up and get dressed then. I'm taking you and your sisters into town today to see a seamstress. You'll be needing new gowns for the annual ball next week." Said Maria.

"I've already got a gown, I mean Josefina is making it." Said Ginny, getting up and running a brush through her hair.

"She is?" Maria sounded stunned.

"Apparently it's part of the job description." Ginny shrugged.

"Alright, well you can come along and help with your sisters, I can't possibly work with both of them alone, they're so high spirited." Maria rolled her eyes as she spoke about the twins.

"Sure." Said Ginny blandly as she headed to the closet and picked out a pale pink dress. Maria left the room as Ginny walked over to the bed and set her dress down, and then went back to the closet to pick out some shoes. Ginny dressed quickly, and headed down to breakfast.

Harry sat in his room holding the book about time travel he and Ginny had found the day before. He thought about waiting to read it until Ginny was with him, but finally decided that she wouldn't mind, and let his curiosity get the better of him.

An hour later, Harry was about a fifth into the book, and still hadn't found anything of use. He hadn't given up hope yet though, as he still had a long way to go. Harry's reading was interrupted by the sound of the doorknob turning. He was expecting to see Ginny bringing him food, but instead was greeted by a different redhead.

"Good day, Harry." Said Alessio, carrying a plate of cream filled crepes topped with strawberries.

"Morning." Said Harry, taking the plate Alessio held out to him and beginning to eat.

"Ginny went shopping with mum and the twins." Said Alessio.

"Oh, a girls day, then?" Harry responded.

"I suppose so." Alessio's eyes rested on the book next to Harry.

"What's this?" He asked picking it up. "A time travel book?"

"We found it in Zachariah's stuff." Said Harry.

"Did you figure out how to get back to your proper time?" Alessio asked eagerly.

"Not yet, but don't worry, I'm only about one fifth of the way through." Harry assured him.

"Well, I'll read out loud to you for a while, that way you'll have a break without wasting time." Said Alessio, still sounding as though it was urgent.

"I suppose. That's where I left off." Said Harry, indicating a dog-eared page. Alessio opened the book and began to read. Harry listened intensely as he ate.

Ginny was seated at a small café in the center of the busy marketplace, accompanied by Theresa and Rosalia. Maria had met up with some of her socialite friends, and had gone into an expensive jewelry shop with them. Ginny sat with the twins at an outdoor table under a white umbrella that adorned the center of the polished oak table. The three of them were sipping on coffee and eating biscotti. Ginny had never had biscotti before, but was quite taken by the cookies and had eaten several.

"So how was your night, Lucia?" Theresa asked grinning devilishly.

"Sleep well?" Rosalia added, both the twins cracked up, a few jet black curls falling out of their tight up dos.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny asked, though she had a feeling she knew.

"Well, you see, we were going around the manor last night, replacing everyone's toothpaste with petroleum jelly." Theresa started. Ginny rolled her eyes a bit and giggled. That really would have been quite funny to see people when they discovered it. She made a note to try it on Fred and George when she got home.

"Yes, we know, it's brilliant. Anyway, we went into your room and you weren't there." Rosalia finished for her twin.

"And, just imagine our shock that Zachariah wasn't in his room either." Said Theresa.

"We found you two asleep on one of the upper balconies, and decided we'd be nice and not wake you." Said Rosalia.

"So really, how did you sleep?" Theresa asked with a wink.

"Now that you mention it, I'm a bit stiff from lying on a balcony floor all night. But other than that, it was wonderful." Said Ginny beaming.

"But it was worth it right?" Rosalia questioned.

"Definitely." Ginny replied, still grinning from ear to ear.

"When are you going to get married?" Theresa inquired.

"We don't know, the thing is, it would be hard to hide from mum and dad." Said Ginny sadly thinking of the predicament Lucia and Zachariah were in.

"That is a bit of a problem." Rosalia agreed.

"Neither of you are married, why doesn't mum bother you about it like she does me?" Ginny asked, having wondered this for some time.

"She gave up on us when we turned eighteen. Said we were hopeless cases, bound to live as old maids forever." Theresa said dramatically, stifling laughter. Rosalia and Ginny began to laugh as well.

"LUCIA!" All three girls turned toward the screaming voice, to come face to face with a hopping mad Maria.

"YOU'RE ENGAGED? WHO IS THIS MAN? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME, HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN SO IRRESPONSIBLE?" Maria raged on.

Ginny didn't know what to do, she turned to the twins, who looked as though they had an idea, but they weren't trying to communicate in any way. She looked back to the frantic woman in front of her. Ginny opened her mouth, but somehow, nothing would come out.

-----

AN: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, it was just a fun one. I'm not quite sure why. I hit 100 reviews last chapter and I would just like to thank everyone for their kick ass reviews, you all rock. And, can we have a round of applause for Kendra please? She is a friend of mine in real life, not just an internet friend, who I have been pestering to read my story constantly since I posted the first chapter, and you know what? She finally did, and she regrets not doing it sooner. Yay Kendra! Lol.

I've added fan art to my webpage as well, lots of it, so go check it out. If you haven't checked out the site at all yet, then shame on you. The link is in my profile as always.

Thanks so much again to everyone who reads and reviews, you all are the greatest, please keep it up!


	15. Misunderstandings

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

Chapter 15

While Ginny sat stunned, Rosalia was doing some quick thinking. She grabbed Ginny's left hand and held it out in front of Maria.

"Maria, she's not engaged, look there's no ring." Said Rosalia, sliding the ring off of Ginny's finger as she released her hand for Maria to see.

"The owner of the jewelry store was just telling me how exquisite your supposed ring is. Was she imagining things then?" Maria interrogated, her eyes full of fury.

"I was looking at some engagement rings in there the other day. Some that I'd hope to get one day, and one of them was extraordinarily beautiful. She must have just changed the story around in her head." Said Ginny thinking quickly.

"She seemed quite lucid, and certain she saw the ring on your finger." Maria fumed.

"Well, I did try it on. But I promise you, that's all. You can ask Josefina about it if you don't believe me, she was there after all." Said Ginny remembering that the matchmaker had agreed to help her.

"I will do that." Maria replied looking skeptical.

When Maria turned around and walked off, beckoning the three girls to follow her, Ginny immediately began thanking Rosalia profusely.

"It was no trouble, just be more careful." Rosalia assured Ginny as she handed back Lucia's ring.

"That ring really seems to be causing you a lot of trouble, maybe you should wear it on a chain around your neck and keep it under your clothes." Said Theresa thoughtfully.

"That's a brilliant idea!" Ginny exclaimed, removing the time turner from around her neck and slipping the ring onto its chain.

"Wow that's a great necklace!" Theresa said wide-eyed, indicating the tiny hourglass that was already on the chain.

"Yeah, where'd you get it?" Rosalia asked.

"Oh, er...from Zachariah." Said Ginny, stuffing the necklace back down her dress.

"GIRLS!" Maria shouted over her shoulder. "Do try and keep up, we need to be home for lunch!"

"You know, it's not very ladylike of her to yell at us in public like this." Theresa whispered to Ginny and Rosalia. All three snickered as they broke into a jog to catch up with Maria.

After an uneventful carriage ride, the women had returned home. The twins had bid Ginny goodbye, and immediately ran off giggling and saying something about the ball. Ginny assumed they had a big prank planned for that night.

Once the twins were out of site, Ginny went off in search of Harry. Ginny walked down the familiar corridor past her room, to the dead end of the hallway where Harry's door was on her left. As usual, she barged in, only to find Harry wearing one of Lucia's lacy bathrobes, a white one to be precise. His perpetually messy black hair was soaking wet and sticking out every which way.

Ginny burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching her stomach. She managed, however to choke out a few words through her laughter.

"Harry...what...are...you...wearing?" She began laughing even harder.

"Don't you knock?" Harry asked irritably.

"No, never." Ginny was still laughing.

"Well, I needed to take a bath, so I went and took one. After I got out, I couldn't find any towels! Alessio had gone out, and I wasn't about to ask Signore Garibaldi, so I came back here looking for a robe. Well, Zachariah, it appears, doesn't own a robe. I remembered you wearing a robe over your pajamas, so I went into Lucia's room and took one." Harry explained, trying to keep his pride in tact.

"Harry, you're a wizard, there's this spell, some of us know it as a drying charm." Ginny had calmed down a bit, but now began laughing harder than ever. She was laughing so hard in fact, that it was amazing Harry had managed to hear her sarcastic comment.

"Oh, sod off!" Harry cried turning scarlet and throwing a pillow at Ginny. He reached for Zachariah's wand and had himself dry in a second.

"I'm getting dressed now, turn around." Harry commanded irritably. Ginny turned to face the door, though she could hear Harry digging in the closet, and she continued giggling a bit.

"So where did Alessio go?" Ginny asked.

"You lot were gone so long he went into the market to find you, I suppose he'll be looking all day now." Harry replied.

"You can turn around now." Said Harry.

Ginny turned around to find Harry wearing red and white striped pajamas. She started laughing again.

"Harry, you look like a peppermint candy!"

"Well, aren't you just in a laughing mood today." Harry teased. "What's gotten into you?"

Ginny explained the whole story of how Rosalia had essentially saved her life in the marketplace.

"I'm just so happy that things seem to be going our way lately!" Ginny exclaimed, flopping sideways onto the bed.

"Things are going your way at least." Harry grunted, flopping next to her onto his back.

"I guess being stuck in here with no meals isn't exactly fun is it?" Ginny asked.

Harry turned his head to the side to look at her, "No, you think?" He asked sarcastically. Ginny turned away from his face. There was so much anger in his eyes she couldn't look at him, even if it wasn't directed at her. When she lowered her head to look at her knees, she noticed the book sitting there.

"Have you started reading yet?" Ginny asked, pointing to the book.

"I'm about halfway through, Alessio helped me this morning, but we haven't come across anything yet." Said Harry, running his hand through his hair in what appeared to be frustration.

"Well there's still a lot left, let's keep reading." Said Ginny trying to cheer him up.

"Okay, we'll read out loud in shifts, you first as I've already been at it all day." Said Harry exhaustedly; reading tired him out much more than any physical activity. He had no idea how Hermione spent so many hours in the library.

"That's fair." Said Ginny reaching for the book.

Harry sat up, leaning back against the pillows on the bed, bending his knees up, and leaving his feet a comfortable distance apart. Ginny sat on the bed in the space between Harry's knees and leaned back against his chest. She rested her forearms on his knees, which when bent up as they were made perfect armrests.

"Alright, if I'm reading, you hold the book." Ginny ordered him.

Harry chuckled at her commanding tone and picked up the book, holding it in front of her in his left hand, and wrapping his right arm around Ginny's waist.

Ginny began to read where Harry and Alessio had left off that morning. She continued to read for over fifty pages in the large textbook, which coincidentally had very small print. At the seventy-page mark, she decided it was Harry's turn to read.

"I've taken my turn, Harry, now I think it's time you did some reading." Said Ginny. There was no answer.

"Harry?" Said Ginny turning around to look at him. Harry was fast asleep.

"You're completely useless, you know that?" Said Ginny jokingly to his sleeping face. She took the book out of Harry's hand, which was held up against Ginny's arm. Ginny took the arm that Harry had been using to hold up the book, and draped it across her stomach. She then held the book out in front of her in both hands, with her elbows still resting on Harry's knees. Once she was comfortable again, Ginny continued reading to herself.

An hour later, Ginny was startled by a knock at the door.

"Come in!" She responded before realizing it could be Lucia's mother or father. Luckily, Alessio entered the room.

"When did you ladies get back? I was all over the marketplace looking for you." Alessio asked Ginny exasperatedly. Ginny giggled at the way he said ladies. He may not be Ron, but he still looked like Ron, and that coming out of Ron's mouth, was hysterical.

"Just after you left I expect." Said Ginny, stifling her laughter.

Alessio looked at her questioningly, but decided not to bother asking her about her strange reaction when he noticed the book in her hands.

"Still working on that book, I see. Have you found anything yet?" Alessio inquired excitedly.

"No, nothing yet." Ginny replied sounding defeated.

"How long have you been at it for?" Alessio asked.

"About two hours now." Ginny sighed.

"Two hours? Bloody hell!" He exclaimed.

"Well, I tried to hand it off to Harry after an hour, but he'd fallen asleep." Ginny giggled, "I didn't have the heart to wake him."

"Well, I'll take over and read out loud for a while." Said Alessio. He crossed the room and sat down on the bed, leaning back against the pillows next to Harry and Ginny. He took the book from Ginny, who immediately shut her eyes and leaned back contently against Harry to listen to Alessio as he continued from where she had left off.

Alessio read for half an hour before Harry began to stir.

"Hold on a second, Alessio, I think he's waking up." Said Ginny, and Alessio abruptly stopped reading. Harry opened his eyes and looked from Ginny to Alessio.

"You're back." Said Harry sleepily.

"Brilliant observation." Said Ginny sarcastically. "You were out for two and a half hours, it's your turn to read."

"Sorry about that." Said Harry, still feeling very groggy. "Did you find anything yet?"

"Not yet, and we're about four fifths of the way through the book." Alessio responded.

"Well, I'll finish it up then." Said Harry, reaching his hand out and taking the book from Alessio. He held it out in front of both he and Ginny, and began to read, looking at the book over the top of Ginny's head.

Harry had barely begun to read when there was a severe pounding at the door. More noise than any one person could make.

"Alessio, Lucia, we know you're in there!" Came the identical voices of two young girls. Harry and Ginny let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't Lucia's parents.

"Come in!" Alessio responded while Harry and Ginny sat in happy silence due to their enormous relief.

The twins entered the room wearing identical smirks directed at Harry and Ginny.

"We just came to say lunch is ready." Rosalia declared.

"And to say hello to Lucia and Zachie." Said Theresa as she winked at the pair.

"Zachie?" Alessio asked disgustedly.

"We're coming, thanks for beating mum and dad to us." Said Ginny, reluctantly getting up from Harry's embrace.

Ginny and Alessio followed the twins out of the room, turning back only to wave to Harry. Theresa and Rosalia hurried off a few paces ahead of Ginny and Alessio, allowing them time for a whispered conversation.

"So, are you two together now?" Alessio posed his question quietly.

"Harry and me? I'm not really sure." Ginny replied wringing her hands a bit.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Alessio asked quizzically.

"Well, you see, it's a bit of a long story, a lot has been going on with us." Said Ginny, dropping her hands back down to her sides.

"Alright then, meet me in the library after you've brought Harry his lunch." Said Alessio.

"Sure." Ginny responded.

Ginny and Alessio reached the dining room doors, where the twins were waiting for them to enter. The four of them walked in together and took their seats. Ginny noticed that Josefina was once again joining the family for lunch.

Once everyone had begun to eat, and the pre-meal conversation had ceased, Maria spoke up.

"So, Josefina, I've got a very amusing story to share with you." Said Maria.

"Oh yes, what would that be?" Josefina responded in the strict manner she always used around the adults.

"The woman that works behind the counter in the jewelry store told me how lovely Lucia's engagement ring was today, do you know what she could have been talking about?" Maria asked sounding falsely sweet.

"Oh, well Lucia and I had just picked up a new ring to go with her ball gown and she had accidentally put it on her left hand instead of her right, it was an honest mistake." Said Josefina. Ginny's face assumed a look of panic, their stories didn't match up, and it was obvious that Maria had noticed.

"But Lucia said that—"Maria started.

"Well, yes that's true, but when I started looking at engagement rings I might like to have someday I noticed that I had made a mistake and moved my ring to my right hand. The jeweler saw the engagement ring that I was trying on and must have made a mistake, just as I told you." Said Ginny, proud of her quick thinking. Maria, however, still looked skeptical.

"Yes, that's right, there was a grand mix up that day." Josefina added. Maria's face softened, she had no reason not to believe the matchmaker.

The rest of the meal passed, luckily without further incident. Once everyone had left, Ginny collected a plate of food for Harry.

Ginny entered Harry's room to find him still absorbed in the time travel book, he didn't even notice her entrance. She set the food on his nightstand before speaking to make sure he noticed it was there.

"Harry, here's your lunch." Said Ginny. Harry mumbled a thank you and continued with his book.

"Look, I told Alessio I'd meet him, but after that I'll come right back here, okay?" Ginny asked.

"Fine, see you later." Said Harry as if in a trance.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" Ginny exclaimed to no one in particular, as Harry was off in a world of his own. She turned to leave the room and muttered a goodbye to Harry before setting off for the library.

-----

AN: I know this chapter took a long time, I had some computer issues to work out. I know, you all must be so glad Ginny got out of trouble so far. Harry was crabby this chapter, I would be too if I was under house arrest and people kept leaving me to go shopping! Ah well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you so much to those who have reviewed, please continue to do so. If you've read this far and haven't reviewed, for shame! Please review even if you only have time to write one word, I really appreciate any reviews I get. Thanks!

**Kendra:** yes, there were front lacing corsets at the time, but I didn't think about that when I was writing it, it's just not important to the story how Ginny has been getting her corset on, you pothole (not the use of inside jokes). If you really want to know, I suppose Ginny either hasn't been wearing her corset and Maria, the only one who would care, has been too distracted to notice, or she's been lacing them up in front, but I didn't bother to think about it because it's not important! Now, go think about important things, you dork, for example, the finicky frisky fluffy ferocious ferret!


	16. The Diary

Disclaimer: I own nothing, I am not making money off of this, nor am I claiming to have created the world that belongs to JK Rowling. No violation of copyright laws here!

Chapter 16 

Ginny approached the library door wondering what Alessio had wanted to talk to her about. She decided there was only one way to find out, and it wasn't by standing outside the door. She entered the library to see Alessio already sitting on one of the cozy purple couches waiting for her.

"Alright, Ginny?" Alessio greeted her.

"Alright. Thanks." Said Ginny, sitting down next to him. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, you mentioned that you weren't sure how things were going with you and Harry." Alessio started, the look in his eyes urging her to continue for him.

"Yes," Ginny sighed. "We kissed the other night, and we sorted out some problems, but we never discussed the status of our relationship."

"If you two don't know what's going on, I suppose no one does. There's just one thing I thought might help, I found this on his desk." Alessio said handing Ginny a scrap of paper, something written on it in Harry's hurried handwriting. It was a letter.

_Ron & Hermione,_

_It's me, Harry. Ginny and I were sent a century back in time, and I worry we'll never get back. I don't know what the chances are that this letter will make it into your hands, or even last for the next hundred years. On the chance that this does last, I want you to have answers about what happened to your friends, and for the Weasleys what happened to their only girl. We've landed and been accepted into a wealthy family with a huge manor, we'll have everything we need. And Ron, I want you to know, Ginny will be fine, she can take care of herself. She can, but she doesn't have to. I've fallen in love with Ginny, and I'll be with her as long as she'll have me. I hope you'll both lead a long and happy life, free of danger (fingers crossed). I love you both, you two and the rest of the Weasleys are the only family I've ever known._

_Love Always,_

_Harry_

"I can't believe he wrote this." Ginny felt tears welling up in her eyes, though for once she didn't feel weak about crying. This was worth crying over. Harry had expressed his emotions in a way she'd never known him to do before. Only one thing made her want to rip the letter to shreds. Harry was giving up. He had made himself content to be stuck in this time forever.

"Are you alright?" Alessio asked sympathetically, awkwardly patting Ginny on the back.

"Fine. It's just, I can't believe he's given up." Ginny sobbed in disbelief.

"Look, there's one more thing I wanted to mention. Zachariah used to talk about this professor he had, Trelawney I think her name was." Said Alessio, looking up thoughtfully and tapping his chin. "He used to say she was extraordinarily young for a professor, hardly out of school herself. Anyway, he was greatly impressed by her talents -at what he never said- though one summer he came to visit, quite frightened at something she'd said during his last class with her. It was only a few days later that you and Harry appeared here in his place."

"Well, we have a professor of divination called Trelawney, but she's young as well, it couldn't possibly be the same woman a hundred years in the future." Said Ginny. She then remembered Zachariah's diary, and realized it was sure to mention whatever it was that had frightened him so.

"I think Harry will be getting lonely, why don't you go and find him." Alessio sighed, he had clearly been hoping Ginny would know more about what may have gotten Zachariah so worried.

"Okay then, why don't you come with?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think so, you two should have some time alone, I think I'll go find the twins and help them make mischief." He responded, albeit with little enthusiasm. It was obvious to Ginny that he was missing his best friend and sister terribly.

"See you later then. Don't worry, we'll get Zachariah and Lucia back." Said Ginny comfortingly; though not so sure she was being truthful.

"Bye then." Said Alessio as he got up, walked past Ginny and left the library.

Ginny exited the library, turning down the corridor in the opposite direction Alessio had gone. She walked briskly down the corridor until she reached Harry's room. She burst in without bothering to knock, and found him sitting in the middle of the bed, wand out, with Zachariah's stuff scattered haphazardly around him.

"Ginny, you really need to start knocking, I thought you were Signore Garibaldi!" Harry sighed exasperatedly, still pointing his wand at her.

"No time for that, Alessio mentioned that Zachariah used to talk about a teacher called Trelawney—" Harry snickered and lowered his wand. "My thoughts exactly, though apparently he spoke of her with high regard."

"It must have been Cassandra Trelawney!" Harry gasped, his eyes lighting up. "The renowned seer, our batty old fraud is a descendant of hers." Said Harry, remembering Umbridge's remarks in his fifth year.

"That explains it then!" Ginny was now jumping excitedly. "Alessio said Zachariah came home from his last year at school very distraught over something she'd said. It must have been a prophecy of some sort. We have to get that diary opened! Forget the time travel book!" Ginny shouted, going red in the face.

"Gin, calm down!" Harry chuckled. "First off, I finished the book, there was nothing there. I started looking through this other stuff, and I managed to open the diary."

"How?" Ginny asked incredulously, knocking some textbooks out of the way and sitting down next to Harry.

"I had to combine a simple 'Alohomora' with a password. Once I realized I needed a password, it was easy enough to guess, 'Lucia Garibaldi'." Said Harry.

"That's brilliant!" Said Ginny beaming at him. As she looked into his eyes, she remembered the letter, which incidentally, had never left her hand. She crinkled it a bit in her palm and averted his gaze. "Harry, Alessio showed me this letter." She began, holding it out to him. A look of recognition crossed his face.

"And…?" Harry coaxed her, not quite sure of her point.

"Harry, you've given up! I still believe we can get back, but if you've given up that doesn't matter anymore." Said Ginny sharply, looking him in the eyes again.

"Gin, I haven't given up! I just couldn't ignore the possibility, and it settled me to know that it was possible they'd be able to find out what happened to us." Said Harry, taking her hand in his.

"Oh, silly Ginny." She muttered to herself. Harry laughed gently and kissed Ginny's forehead. She looked up at him, again, unable to control herself, except this time she felt no desire to do so. Ginny leaned in and briefly touched her lips to Harry's. Harry, feeling very relieved that she was no longer being so resistant returned her kiss, and the diary was soon forgotten.

Almost an hour later, Harry and Ginny were pulled out of their reverie by loud shrieks throughout the manor of, "THERESA! ROSALIA!" Harry and Ginny separated, laughing hysterically.

"I wonder what they've gotten up to." Said Harry, raising his eyebrows.

"Whatever it is, Alessio's been helping." Said Ginny between gasps of laughter.

"As long as we've been distracted anyway, I guess we should look at that diary." Said Harry reluctantly.

"Agreed. I think it's safe to say the moment is sufficiently ruined." Ginny replied, reaching for the diary. Harry sat with his arm wrapped around her waist as they searched the book for June 1886; the month Zachariah had graduated Hogwarts.

"There!" Harry exclaimed, pointing out the date at the top of the page, June 16, 1886.

_Today was my last day of classes at Hogwarts. Only this time, it's not just another year ended. I'm leaving the castle forever. It's been a great year, but I have missed Lucia terribly. It's been a long year without her, but we'll be getting married soon. I just have to complete my healer training, then I'll be able to support her, and we can run away together. Hopefully we'll be able to keep in touch with Alessio and her sisters without crossing her parents. Her father is an awfully prejudiced man, a muggle Slytherin if I ever knew one. This useless talk is fine to put into a diary, but today I have something more important to say._

_I've loved Divination this year, Professor Trelawney is the greatest seer in centuries, and has a gift for teaching. She graduated Hogwarts just last year, and was immediately given the position of Divination professor. I can't believe the difference it made to have a true seer teaching us for once. I've grown verbose again; so let me make my original point. When Trelawney makes a prediction, I listen. I'd be a fool not to. Today, as I bid her farewell for the last time, and made to leave the room, she stopped me. She wished me good luck and warned me to always keep a time turner on my person, that one day it would save my life. I immediately went through great lengths, even using my family name, which you know I hate to do. I do come from a wonderful family, but I abhor using it, rather than my personal qualifications to acquire things. In this situation, however, I was so desperate that I used my family's authority in the wizarding world. I know have a time turner that I wear around my neck even when I sleep. I hope my life will never need saving, but if it does, I have the time turner._

_Zachariah_

"Harry, do you think it's possible that maybe, I turned Hermione's time turner at the same time Zachariah turned his?" Ginny asked, "Do you think that could cause something like this?"

"I really don't know." Harry replied, letting himself fall onto his back as he let out a frustrated sigh. Ginny gave an equally exasperated sigh as she laid back, her head landing on Harry's chest. She cuddled up against his side as he put one arm around her shoulders. They were silent, thinking through the possibilities as to what could have happened with the time turners. Soon, both grew tired and promptly fell asleep.

Author's Note: I'm back! I doubt I have any readers left, but on the off chance I do, here goes: I was ridiculously busy once school started, no time to do extra writing. When the term changed, I had time again, but I had lost the will to write this story. I continued getting reviews in my email occasionally, and I felt bad that I never finished it, and I knew it was going to bother me. I had to reread my entire story so far before I could continue. I know this is shorter than the last few chapters were but I am a). Just getting back into the swing of this and b). This was a good place to stop based on where the plot is going, trust me. Even if no one is reading this story anymore, I have to finish if for my own personal reasons, but I'm so grateful to anyone who is, and I really appreciate the reviews, and I'm sorry I kept people waiting.

One more thing, part of the reason I've had time to write is due to illness, so you can all delight at my sickness-- just kidding, I know you'd never do that…well, maybe some of you ;). Also, this is the only creative writing I've done in months, all my other writing has consisted of literary analysis, history research papers, scientific lab write ups, or opinion essays in Spanish…not even the right language (speaking of languages I got into Latin this year, and now I know what some of the spells in HP mean) my point is, if this isn't very good, I'm sorry once again.

The longwinded author's note is over!


	17. The Ball

Disclaimer: still don't own it, and not claiming to.

Chapter 17

Harry and Ginny awoke to a knock at the door. "It's Alessio!" Could be heard from the hallway.

"Come in!" Harry shouted, sitting up and bringing Ginny up with him.

"Do you two do anything other than sleep?" Alessio joked.

"Not lately." Harry replied, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Reading is tiring."

"You sound like Ron." Ginny giggled, finally waking up enough to talk.

"Well, you slept through lunch, I brought you something to eat." Said Alessio, placing a plate with two sandwiches and a bowl of salad big enough for Harry and Ginny to share on the bedside table. "I didn't want to wake you, so I told mum that _Lucia_ wasn't feeling well." Alessio said, emphasizing his sister's name.

"Signore Garibaldi allows people to miss a meal when they're ill?" Harry scoffed.

'When they're his own children, sure." Alessio shrugged. "Ginny, that matchmaker woman said you two were supposed to go into the market and pick up some things to put the finishing touches on your gown, but since you're not feeling well she's going on her own."

"I'd forgotten we were supposed to go shopping! I really like Josefina; when she's not trying to put on a good face for your mum she's really lovely." Said Ginny, "She even found out about Lucia and Zachariah and she's all for it, she's going to help protect them from your parents."

"That's great! We could really use someone with some influence on our side!" Harry exclaimed.

"I just have to dance with a few other men at the ball so Maria won't suspect anything." Said Ginny.

"When is the ball?" Asked Harry.

"Tonight." Alessio replied. "We'll find something suitable in Zachariah's closet, I'm sure." Alessio walked over to the closet and started sorting through the various outfits. Alessio pulled out a pair of black knee breeches, a single-breasted tuxedo jacket complete with tails, and a white blouse with a high collared neck and ruffles down the front. The ruffles on the cuffs peeked out from under the sleeves of the jacket.

Harry looked at the ensemble in horror, "I am **not** wearing that!"

"Well, wait for it, I haven't found the shoes yet!" Said Alessio, still digging in the closet, only he was now on his knees searching on the floor. Soon, Alessio pulled out a pair of black patent-leather boots with cloth tops, and cloth covered buttons running all the way up the sides of the knee-high boots.

Ginny laughed when she saw them, "Harry won't wear those." She said through her giggles.

"And why not?" Asked Alessio indignantly, "I'll be wearing the very same thing."

"It's…a…a…a penguin suit!" Harry sputtered.

"It's the height of fashion!" Responded Alessio.

"If you're sure—" started Harry

"I am." Alessio cut in, "You'll have to dress appropriately if you want to fit in."

"He has a point, Harry." Said Ginny, wishing she'd be able to take Harry's picture at the ball.

"LUCIA!" A shout came from down the corridor and all three heads turned toward the door.

"I'd better go!" Ginny shrieked and leapt toward the door and ran from the room. Ginny found Maria calling her in the next corridor over.

"Lucia, there you are, Signora Malone needs you for the final fitting of your gown, where have you been?" Said Maria, sounding flustered.

"Oh, I was with Alessio, he wanted my opinion on the suit he's wearing tonight." Ginny replied, laughing internally at the thought of Harry in that outfit.

"I take it you're feeling better then." Said Maria, looking skeptically at Ginny.

"Yes, I'm feeling very well now." Said Ginny, following Maria as she turned and led Ginny towards a spare lounge on the top floor of the manor where Josefina sat perfecting Ginny's gown. Maria left Ginny immediately, hurrying off calling for the twins. When Maria turned around, Ginny noticed large pumpkin orange spots on the back of Maria's white flowered dress. Now she understood why Maria had been yelling at the twins.

"Oh, hello Lucia, I'm glad to see you're feeling better." Said Josefina, smiling warmly.

"I am, and thank you for making my gown, I'm sure it will be amazing." Said Ginny.

"Well, I need you to try it on so I can fit it perfectly, but keep your eyes shut, I want it to be a surprised." Josefina said, keeping the dress obscured by all her fabrics and sewing supplies so that Ginny couldn't see it.

"No problem." Said Ginny, going behind a changing wall in the corner to undress.

Ginny stood in the middle of the room in her gown for a good hour with her eyes screwed shut while Josefina pinned up every part of the dress that needed even the slightest alteration.

"Finished." Josefina sighed happily. "And it's just about time for dinner, so you can just head to the dining room." Ginny nodded, stepped out of her gown and changed quickly into her regular clothes.

"Thanks again, Josefina! See you at the ball!" Said Ginny, then she turned and left the room, and headed toward the dining hall. When she approached the doors, she discovered that Maria had finally found the twins. Ginny pushed past them, only hearing part of the argument ensuing in front of her.

"Honestly, Maria, we were just working on a project and we left the paint on the chair, it's your own fault you sat in it." Rosalia was pointing out to her mother.

Ginny covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles and entered the dining room to find Alessio and Signore Garibaldi already seated. She caught Alessio's eye and he raised both eyebrows, jerking his head towards the door. Ginny smiled and shook her head, laughing silently in response. A few minutes later, Maria and the twins entered the dining room, Maria wearing a different, paint free dress, which Ginny hadn't noticed in the hallway. Everyone sat down and began to eat.

"Girls, I have hired people to come and style your hair for tonight, they will be coming by after dinner, and I'll bring them straight up to your rooms." Said Maria, addressing Ginny, Theresa, and Rosalia.

The rest of dinner was spent with Signore Garibaldi grunting etiquette rules for the night. Ginny had felt bad that Josefina would be working through dinner, but after hearing Signore Garibaldi lecture for the entirety of dinner, she felt she'd have traded places with Josefina in a second. When dinner finally ended, Ginny headed up to her room and changed out of her clothes into a dressing gown so that she would not have to ruin her hair when she changed into her gown. There was a quick knock at the door, and the door opened before Ginny had a chance to respond. Maria stood in the doorway with a pretty girl scarcely older than Ginny with olive skin, chocolate brown hair, and eyes to match. She was carrying a large black bag.

"Lucia, this is Natalia, she'll be fixing your hair for the ball." Said Maria, gesturing toward Natalia.

"Nice to meet you." Said Ginny, giving her friendliest smile. Maria seemed to think they were getting along just fine, as she turned on her heel and left the room.

"I'll be doing your hair and makeup for tonight." Said Natalia timidly.

"Thank you for coming tonight I'm sure it will be lovely." Said Ginny, trying to make Natalia feel more comfortable. Natalia blushed, keeping her gaze on the floor as though no one had ever shown appreciation for her. Ginny sat down in the chair in front of her dressing table, looking in the mirror. She saw Natalia approach her from behind, setting her bag down on the table next to Ginny. She began digging in her bag and pulling out all kinds of scary contraptions that Ginny would not have let near her hair normally, though she remembered that she was one hundred years in the past, and said nothing.

Natalia styled Ginny's hair with expertise Ginny had not expected based on the girl's shyness. She applied subtle makeup just as perfectly. Before Ginny knew it, Natalia had stepped back from her chair and asked quietly, "What do you think?"

"It's lovely, thank you." Ginny replied, looking at her normally pin-straight red hair piled in ringlets on top of her head, with a few white rosebuds sticking out from the curls. Natalia nodded, blushing again, but with a small smile this time as she collected her things and left the room.

Ginny decided she should go and see how Josefina was doing on her dress. In the corridor she found the twins, who had hairstyles very much like hers, only Rosalia's was adorned with red roses, and the Theresa's with yellow. They were already in their dresses; both had full skirts portrait necklines, and elbow length sleeves that had ruffles around the cuff. The bodices of their dresses reminded Ginny of a fitted jacket, they way they were laced in the back and flared just above the hip. Rosalia's was red silk, matching the roses in her hair. Theresa's was deep blue velvet, complementing the yellow roses perfectly. Both wore white silk gloves.

"Lucia! Hurry! You've got to get dressed!" Theresa exclaimed taking her by the arm.

"We'll take you up to the matchmaker." Rosalia added, taking Ginny's other arm. The twins practically dragged her to the top floor of the manor, and shoved her through the door to the lounge where Josefina had been all day. Ginny saw her dress hanging from the top of the changing wall and gasped, she had never imagined how beautiful it would turn out. The gold brocade Ginny had picked out in the marketplace was perfect.

"Josefina, it's gorgeous!" Said Ginny wide-eyed. Josefina was dressed for the ball in a simple dress of silvery blue silk.

"I've impressed even myself with this one." Said Josefina, beaming with pride.

"Well, hurry up and put it on then!" Said Rosalia impatiently from the doorway.

"You're supposed to be at the ball already, we're going down before we get murdered." Said Theresa, and the twins turned and headed down the spiraling staircase.

Josefina picked up the dress and handed it to Ginny, who promptly changed into it. Josefina had to lace up the back for her, and it was so tight Ginny could scarcely breathe. She turned to look in the mirror at the other side of the room, and couldn't believe it was herself she was looking at. The dress had a full skirt and a princess cut bodice with a scoop neckline and cap-sleeves.

Josefina walked across the room to behind her worktable, and returned carrying a pair of white silk gloves in one hand, and a pair of white leather boots. The boots had a small heel and laced up the front. Ginny put the boots on, smoothed out her skirt and looked in the mirror as she pulled on her gloves. Her skirt covered the shoes, but they still gave her posture a nice lift.

"I'm going to go down and start matchmaking for you." Josefina winked at Ginny. You come down when you're ready. Ginny nodded.

After Josefina left the room, Ginny looked in the mirror for another minute or so, smoothed her skirt one last time, and headed for the door. She walked down several flights of stairs, until she was at the top of the last staircase, which led her straight into the ballroom. She could see Harry and Alessio waiting near the bottom of the stairs, and it was hard not to laugh, she had prepared herself for Harry, but she had forgotten that if Alessio was wearing the same outfit, it would be like Ron putting on that getup. She thought Harry looked rather handsome, and she wished he had more fitting clothes back home. Ginny reached the bottom of the staircase, but Harry and Alessio had their backs to her, and had not yet seen her. She approached Harry from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to face her and looked awestruck.

"You look gorgeous." Said Harry sincerely, and Ginny smiled at him.

"I think you look very nice too, not at all like a penguin." Ginny responded.

"Thanks, but I'm just glad this jacket has tails, no matter how ridiculous they look, at least they're concealing how tight these trousers really are." Said Harry. Ginny stifled her laughter.

"Harry was just telling me about what you found in Zachariah's diary." Alessio cut in.

"Yes, but we're not sure how it's important." Said Ginny, looking rather hopeless.

"Well, what if you and Zachariah both tried to use them at the same time. That book mentioned something about occurrences of people switching places when they try to use time turners at the same moment." Alessio stated. Both Harry and Ginny stared at him.

"It really said that, are you sure?" Harry inquired.

"Absolutely positive, don't you remember?" Said Alessio urgently.

"Clearly not." Ginny couldn't resist putting in a sarcastic remark.

Josefina soon approached Ginny and pointed out a few men Lucia's mother wanted her to dance with, so Ginny left Harry and Alessio to talk on their own. Ginny couldn't believe she'd been forced to leave at such a vital moment in the conversation. Ginny had danced with a man in his thirties, who was attractive, but a real dandy who in fact reminded her very much of Gilderoy Lockhart. She danced with another man only two years older than she was, who came from a rich, important family, and was incredibly stuck up. Another from a similar background, except this man was very sweet, but hopelessly nerdy, and just not Ginny's type. The fourth reminded her too much of her brother Charlie for comfort, but the fifth man was very nice, and a good dancer. She returned to Harry and Alessio happy to have fulfilled her duties for the night.

"Care to dance?" Harry asked as a waltz began.

"You're going to dance?" Ginny smirked, remembering the Yule Ball in her third year.

"Not if you're going to mock me." Said Harry sarcastically.

"I'm just surprised, I'd love to dance with you." Ginny replied, taking his arm as he led her onto the dance floor. They watched the other couples around them so that they could somehow figure out what they were doing, as neither of them knew how to waltz. Ginny put her right hand in Harry's left, and her left hand on Harry's upper arm, copying the women around her. Harry looked around as well, placing his right hand on Ginny's upper back. They clumsily attempted to follow the music for a while before Harry spoke up.

"You were right about me and dancing." Harry stated.

"I didn't realize I was just as hopeless." Ginny joked.

"Do you fancy finding some place where we can be alone?" Harry asked.

"Definitely." Ginny responded, taking Harry's arm as he led them to a small spare bedroom off the side of the ballroom.

Upon entering the bedroom decorated in sapphire blue and gold, Ginny sat down on the deep blue bedspread, facing the door. Harry sat cross-legged on the bed facing her, and taking her hands in his.

"Ginny, I—" Harry started

"Harry!" Ginny suddenly gasped urgently, "I've just noticed it, don't you recognize these clothes?"

"Not really." Said Harry shaking his head, "But, Gin, I—"

"They're the same ones Zachariah and Lucia were wearing in our dream, that means—" suddenly a look of horror came over Ginny's face as Harry heard the door creak open. He knew exactly what had happened.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Major Cliffhanger! Don't kill me guys! Look, now that I started this story again I'm back in full force. Only one, maybe two chapters left to go, I'm so excited to write the next chapter, you have NO idea! Actually I didn't want to end this here I really wanted to keep going but I just couldn't, it fits better in the next chapter.

I had such fun researching clothing from the late 1800s for this chapter! I love all reviewers!


	18. The Gunshot

Disclaimer: Seriously, not mine.

Chapter 18

Harry reached into his jacket pocket for Zachariah's wand. Not wanting to waste time, Harry pointed the wand over his shoulder and shouted "Stupefy!"

Just as Harry said the incantation, Ginny had flattened herself on the bed, pulling Harry down with her. The stunning spell hit the closet door across the room, leaving a large hole and splinters of wood littering the floor.

Harry heard the familiar, explosive noise from his dream, and felt a bullet whiz past his head. It could not have missed him by more than two centimeters, as Harry swore he felt it catch briefly in his hair. Harry looked up to see what he'd known was there all along, Signore Garibaldi standing in the doorway, holding out his silver pistol. A crowd of guests from the ball was beginning to form behind the small, stout man in the doorway.

Harry jumped to his feet, standing on the bed as Ginny, who was completely defenseless without magic, hurried to duck behind the bed, out of Signore Garibaldi's line of fire. Harry lifted his wand and pointed it at the gunman, his face full of determination. He soon realized that cursing the man was futile. From the distance at which he stood, Signore Garibaldi could easily pull the trigger before any spell would touch him. Signore Garibaldi seemed aware of this fact as well.

"I told you to stay away from my daughter!" Signore Garibaldi shouted, his voice raspy with anger, his face turning purple and the usual vein in his neck throbbing.

"And I told you that you couldn't make me!" Said Harry defiantly, leaping behind the bed and landing next to Ginny as he uttered the last word, able to foresee the anger his actions would instill in Signore Garibaldi. Harry had been right to hide, as he heard another loud bang, which hit the pole supporting the canopy above the bed, causing the large drapery to collapse over the bed, fully covering himself and Ginny. All too soon, the canopy lifted, revealing Signore Garibaldi's infuriated face, no completed by another throbbing vein in his forehead. Both Harry and Ginny turned to look at Signore Garibaldi, Ginny remaining in between the two men.

"Signore, please, I'm begging you, don't harm him, I love him." Ginny pleaded.

"_And what are the chances this will work?"_ Harry thought as he sat hopeless, listening to Ginny bargain for his life. Only then did he notice her finger was on his leg, tracing random shapes. _"Or are they random shapes?" _Harry thought, focusing intently on his leg. Ginny was indeed writing something. Harry concentrated with all his might, while Ginny continued to stall by whimpering to Signore Garibaldi.

_"S-s-su-sum-summon, summon g-g-gu-gum! Summon gum! Summon gum?"_ Harry thought, dumbfounded.

"Summon gum?" He whispered questioningly into Ginny's ear. Ginny let out an exasperated sigh and continued to grovel at Signore Garibaldi's feet, though it was clear he was not going to stand for it much longer.

_"Summon…gum…" _Harry thought again, "_Summon gum…of course! Summon **gun**!"_ Harry raised his wand behind Ginny's back and whispered "Accio gun!" Ginny's posture straightened in apparent happiness as she heard Harry whisper the summoning charm.

The pistol flew from Signore Garibaldi's hand, but before Harry could catch it, Ginny had grabbed it. The gun was now pointed at Signore Garibaldi's chest.

"Lucia, I was only trying to protect you." Signore Garibaldi shouted harshly.

"I don't need to be protected from the man I love, he would _never_ hurt me." Said Ginny sternly.

"Lucia, you know that this man is a wizard, but do you understand what that entails? Do you know how dangerous he is? I have no choice, I have to kill him, give me the pistol." Signore Garibaldi grunted forcefully, holding out his hand to Ginny.

Harry raised his wand, pointing it over Ginny's head at Signore Garibaldi and conjured ropes, binding Signore Garibaldi's ankles, as well as his wrists behind his back. The short man fell to the floor instantly, struggling against the ropes, but unable to do anything.

Outside the door, Maria had parted through the crowd and rushed into the room, Josefina at her heels. Maria immediately knelt beside her husband, pleading for him to be all right.

"We haven't hurt him, Maria, we only stopped him from killing Zachariah." Said Ginny dropping the gun, which landed near Signore Garibaldi's hands. Signore Garibaldi was able to reach the gun, and struggled to aim it at Harry before it could be summoned out of his reach once again. He fired the last shot recklessly. Everyone in the vicinity turned to stare at Signore Garibaldi, only to see that he had been too confident in his aim. Deep red blood was oozing from Signore Garibaldi's own side and seeping through his shirt. The last sound Harry and Ginny heard before the room began to spin around them, was Maria's scream.

* * *

Harry and Ginny landed in a familiar dusty cave. The cave just outside of Hogsmeade where they'd been attacked by Death Eaters and sent back to Zachariah and Lucia's time. The cave walls were cracked and the floor was in complete disarray. It was clearly evident that the Death Eater attack had continued after Harry and Ginny disappeared. 

"We're back." Harry smiled looking around the cave, "But did Signore Garibaldi die?" he asked as an afterthought.

"Maybe he did, maybe that's why we're back. Zachariah and Lucia are safe." Said Ginny.

"We're back in our normal clothes too!" Harry exclaimed, looking down at his Hogwarts uniform.

"We really did just jump into and then out of their lives didn't we?" Ginny asked.

"It seems that way." Harry paused. "Er…I guess we better get back to school."

They left the cave and trudged into Hogsmeade village. They knew immediately they had not returned during a Hogsmeade weekend, as there were no Hogwarts students to be seen. The pair walked in silence all the way back to the castle. When they entered the castle, both felt immediately at home. Except for one thing, the corridors were completely empty. Everyone was in class.

"I suppose we should find Dumbledore then." Said Ginny looking around. Harry nodded and headed for Dumbledore's office. He and Ginny approached the stone gargoyle, but before Harry had a chance to try and guess the new password, the spiral stairway was revealed, and Harry and Ginny hurried up into Dumbledore's office. When they reached the top, they found Dumbledore seated at his desk, surrounded by boxes and piles of what looked to be extremely fascinating junk.

"Welcome back, Harry, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore smiled at them, the familiar twinkle in his eye. "I've just been doing a bit of spring cleaning." He said, indicating the mess.

"We've had the pleasure of hosting here at Hogwarts Miss Garibaldi, and for the second time, Mr. Butarelli." Dumbledore continued.

"So they were here then? But Lucia's a muggle, how did they manage?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"When she took over your life Miss Weasley, she also acquired your powers. I presume that you lost your powers when you were transported to her life?" Dumbledore asked rhetorically.

"How do you know what happened to us?" Harry inquired.

"Well, you've managed to save the life of a very good friend of mine. Zachariah Garibaldi was one of the first students I ever taught through all seven years as Transfiguration professor here at Hogwarts."

"Whatever happened to him?" Ginny asked timidly, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer.

"Well, about a century ago, he told me a fantastic story of being sent to the future, and returning to his own life in the midst of a heated argument in his fiancé's home, her father had just been killed." Dumbledore explained.

"That's just when we left, after Signore Garibaldi was shot we were transported back here." Harry explained.

"That is because the threat was gone. Though it has long been written in text books, there is very little proof that simultaneous time travel will switch the users of the time turners, though it seems that you two were sent back with the knowledge of what would happen so that you could save Zachariah." Said Dumbledore.

"So were Lucia and Zachariah able to marry? Lucia's mother was against their union as well." Said Ginny.

"It seems that after Signore Garibaldi was killed, a Miss Josefina Malone was able to convince Lucia's mother that the marriage should be allowed." Dumbledore began, "According to Zachariah, they were allowed to marry as long as he kept his magic hidden. Unfortunately, Zachariah could not manage this, and they moved to Hogsmeade after Zachariah finished his healer training. He is now a rather famous healer working at St. Mungos."

"And Lucia?" Ginny inquired, rather interested in the girl whose life she had lived.

"Alas, she was a muggle, so her life expectancy was short. She passed away about thirty-five years ago." Said Dumbledore.

"Did they have any children?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, three boys. All attended Hogwarts, though I have not heard from them in years."

"Professor, we thought this might have had something to do with Voldemort." Harry stated nervously, but relaxed upon seeing the amused twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes.

"No, Harry, I believe you were switched strictly to save each other, there was no dark magic at work."

"Excuse me, but save _each other?_" Harry asked.

"Yes, in fact, Zachariah put up quite a fight against the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade. He even managed to get the Lestranges sent back to Azkaban with trustworthy guards watching them at all times." Harry grinned in response to this good news. "You should know, Harry, that Zachariah has been studying the transformations Tom Riddle used, as well as curse scars for the last ninety years. Most now believe him to be a seer for having known the importance of these things in the future, but between the three of us, he practically failed Divination." Dumbledore smiled cheerfully at them again.

"Did Ron and Hermione know what happened to us?" Ginny asked the question they'd both been dying to have answered.

"They knew as much as I did." Dumbledore replied. "It's just about time for dinner now, and I'm sure you'd like to see your friends again."

"Yes." Ginny started, "Thank you for everything, Professor." Dumbledore nodded kindly in response, and Harry and Ginny set off for the Great Hall.

Harry and Ginny entered the Great Hall to find Ron and Hermione already seated across from each other. Harry sat next to Ron, and Ginny next to Hermione.

"So, Ron, heard from Scabbers lately?" Harry said jokingly.

"That's ridiculous, why would I have heard from—" Ron started but stopped short and stared, "You're back, it's really you!" Ron shouted clapping Harry on the back, as Hermione hugged Ginny. Ron and Hermione jumped up and switched sides of the table, Ron hugging his sister, and Hermione practically knocking Harry out of his chair with her embrace.

"We're so glad to see you, we found your letter and we worried we'd never see you again." Said Hermione dramatically.

"Speaking of that letter—" Ron started.

Harry cut him off, "Look, I know you don't like Ginny dating, but I won't do anything wrong I swear."

"I was going to say, that you're better than those stupid prats she's gone out with in the past." Said Ron, "But I'm still going to keep my eye on you!" He added as an afterthought.

"It's great to have you two back." Said Hermione, glowing, as they all began to settle in and eat. Dinner passed quickly, and Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione returned to the common room, where they stayed up late into the night while Harry and Ginny relayed their story to Ron and Hermione. Around one in the morning, Hermione and Ginny kissed Ron and Harry goodnight, and headed for the girls' dormitory. Ron and Harry decided to go up to bed as well. Once they got ready for bed and climbed under the covers, Harry remembered something that seemed ancient history in his mind after everything that had happened lately.

"Ron?" Harry asked.

"Yeah?" Ron answered groggily.

"Next time Trelawney makes a prediction, maybe I'll take it seriously." Said Harry, remembering how she'd said he would leave in a few days. He'd taken it as one of her death predictions, but now that he thought about it, she never had said he'd _die_. Ron laughed in response to Harry's comment, and they both drifted off into a restful sleep.

* * *

Author's Note: Well, there you have it, that's really the end of the story. There will be a little bit of an epilogue, just because it was hard to fit a really complete ending into this chapter, but the story itself is complete. The epilogue will pretty much tie up the loose ends in Harry and Ginny's relationship, because doing it in this chapter would not have fit. I'm so glad that people enjoyed this, and I hope you didn't hate the ending, thus ruining the whole story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed along the way! 


	19. Epilogue

Disclaimer: Still not mine, and this is the last disclaimer I'll have to write for this story!

Epilogue

**9 months later…**

It was early Christmas morning at 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry Potter sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, while Remus Lupin worked in the kitchen several large coffee cakes for the guests that were meant to be arriving any minute. Remus and Harry had invited the Weasley and Granger families over for Christmas, as well as all members of the Order, though all of them seemed to either have family plans, or be away on work.

Harry sat in the empty living room thinking of Ginny. He couldn't wait to see her. He'd spent his entire summer with Ginny, Ron and Hermione, but September 1st Ginny had left for her seventh year at Hogwarts. That same day had been the start of Harry's auror training, and he hadn't even gotten to go to Kings Cross Station to see Ginny off. Harry's thoughts were interrupted by the front door swinging open. Hermione Granger entered with her parents following close behind, all carrying beautifully wrapped gifts. They set their presents on the coffee table, and proceeded to greet Harry.

"Happy Christmas, Harry!" Said Hermione throwing her arms around his neck.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Harry responded, reaching out to shake hands with Hermione's parents once Hermione had let go of him.

Lupin entered from the kitchen, wearing an apron bearing the Black family crest he'd once found in the house.

"Happy Christmas, Professor!" Hermione squealed.

"Hello, Hermione, Happy Christmas to you too." Said Lupin, "Lovely to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger."

"Yes, we've heard you're an excellent teacher." Said Mrs. Granger, beaming.

"FILTH! SCUM! BLOOD TRAITORS!" Came a shout from upstairs.

"Just a moment, I'll go silence her. It doesn't last long, but at least it helps." Said Lupin exasperatedly, dashing up the stairs.

"Still haven't gotten rid of the old bat, then?" Came Ron's cheery voice from the doorway as he walked in and put an arm around Hermione. Fred, George, Percy, Charlie, Bill, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed Ron, and finally Ginny, all carrying presents wrapped in magical paper with flying reindeer and blinking lights. They too placed their gifts on the coffee table. There was a chorus of several people all greeting each other at once with, "Happy Christmas!" and "Lovely to meet you!" As Mrs. Weasley swept Harry up in a motherly hug and commenting that he finally seemed to have been fed properly. Ginny waited patiently until her mother released Harry, and turned to greet Hermione.

"Happy Christmas, Harry." Ginny whispered in his ear, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek.

"Happy Christmas, Gin." Harry whispered back, kissing her softly and briefly on the lips.

"Alright, everyone, coffee cake in the kitchen!" Lupin called, now at the base of the stairs having silenced the portrait of Sirius's mother.

The crowd of people entered the kitchen and sat around the magically expanded table, set with silver dishes decorated in holly four large coffee cakes sat in the center of the table, along with coffee pots and pitchers of pumpkin juice. The large group sat around the table contently eating their breakfast and chatting happily.

When breakfast was finished, the crowd sat around the coffee table in armchairs and on the sofa, ready to open presents. They spent the afternoon laughing and talking happily, drinking butterbeer, and enjoying their gifts. Hermione had insisted on beginning one of her new Arithmancy books immediately, and Ron had joined her, reading the latest book on the Chudley Cannons. Hermione leaned against the armrest of a large chair, her legs draped over Ron's lap, who was sitting in the chair normally. Ron's hand rested on Hermione's shin. Harry and Ginny sat on the floor with Fred and George, who were showing off their latest tricks for 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.'

Everyone stayed late into the night, and Mrs. Weasley had cooked a large Christmas dinner. Soon everyone had fallen asleep in the living room, their stomachs full and their minds content. Only Harry and Ginny remained awake, talking by the fire and making up for lost time.

"Harry, look it's snowing!" Ginny smiled pointing towards a window.

"Well, come on then." Said Harry, taking her hand to help her up. He took his heaviest cloak from the coat rack and wrapped it around both of them. They walked outside into the softly falling snow. It was the kind of snow that falls in large, chunky flakes. Both Harry and Ginny had trouble seeing as the snowflakes caught in their eyelashes, and both now had hair sprinkled with white. The night sky was a clear, deep blue, and Harry and Ginny walked around the yard in silence, looking up into the sky, catching snowflakes on their faces.

"Let's stop here for a bit." Said Harry, taking off his cloak from around them and laying it on the ground, revealing their matching Weasley jumpers, Harry's bottle green, and Ginny's snow white. If it weren't for her vibrant hair, she'd have been lost in the snow. Harry lay down on his side, at the edge of his cloak, leaving room for Ginny. Ginny lay down on her side, facing him, and resting her forehead against his. Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny, and Ginny kept her arms between them, tucked against her chest. Both their faces were pink from the cold.

"Are you cold?" Harry asked, rubbing her shoulder.

"No I'm fine." Ginny replied.

"You sure?" Harry mumbled. "Because we can get up and put the cloak back on."

"I'm fine, Harry, don't move a muscle." Ginny laughed softly. They lay there in comfortable silence for some time, before Harry opened his mouth.

"Ginny, will you marry me?" Harry had blurted the words out without thinking. He wanted to marry Ginny someday, he was sure of it, but he hadn't intended to do so this young. When he thought about it though, he was fully ready to make that commitment.

"Harry—" Ginny started.

"I mean," Harry cut her off, "Someday. I don't think either of us is ready yet, but I know that I want to marry you, without a doubt, and I'm ready to promise you that."

"Yes, Harry, I will marry you someday." Ginny replied beaming, "But you're right about us not being ready now." Harry kissed her lovingly and earnestly. When he pulled back, he chuckled awkwardly.

"I…er…I don't have a ring…I kind of decided to do this on the spur of the moment." Said Harry, worrying that he would upset Ginny.

"Well, sometimes that's the best way to do things." Ginny responded, and gently kissed Harry one more time.

A large tawny owl swooped down on them and dropped a letter into Harry's hand. He opened the letter cautiously, wondering who could be sending him an owl at this time; a small diamond ring fell out into Harry's hand. Harry and Ginny read the letter together.

_Dear Harry & Ginny,_

_Congratulations on your recent engagement! _('How do people know this already?' Harry thought) _I know you're probably wondering how I already know, but remember, there is always someone from the Order looking after you, and I'm helping Professor Dumbledore out by taking watch on Christmas when none of the usual members were available. _

_The point of this letter was to give you this ring. You may recognize it as belonging to my late wife, Lucia. Before you reject my gift, let me remind you that it is the least I can do after what you have done for me, and I want you and Ginny to have it. Lucia would want you to have it as well. Good luck in your future marriage, and don't worry; I'm the only person who knows of your engagement, and I plan to tell no on; that is your prerogative. _

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Zachariah Butarelli_

_P.S. If you ever wanted to meet me, you're both welcome at St. Mungos anytime. _

"Let's go and see him tomorrow." Said Ginny.

"I was thinking the same thing." Said Harry, taking Ginny's left hand and slipping Lucia's ring on her third finger.

"Let's go inside and sit by the fire." Said Ginny yawning a bit.

"That is an excellent idea!" Harry exclaimed, taking her hand to help her up. They walked back inside, leaving the cloak in the snow. They sat in front of the fire all night, both thinking of how they were going to tell their friends and family in the morning.

* * *

Author's Note: That's it, it's REALLY over now, thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed, I love all of you! I really enjoyed writing this story, and I hope I can come up with another good plot idea for a new story. I couldn't resist ending with a nice bit of fluff because at its core, this story was meant to be a Harry/Ginny romance.

Happy Holidays to all!


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